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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Person: Dr. Peter Marks

Posts Mislead About COVID-19 Vaccine Safety With Out-of-Context Clip of FDA Official

Posts Mislead About COVID-19 Vaccine Safety With Out-of-Context Clip of FDA Official
February 23, 2024

Given the extra scrutiny and large number of doses, reports of possible side effects to a vaccine safety monitoring system increased with the COVID-19 vaccines. The high number of reports does not mean the vaccines are unsafe, contrary to suggestions made by posts sharing a clip of a Food and Drug Administration official acknowledging the surge.

Posts Distort Testimony of Federal Health Officials on Employee Vaccinations

Posts Distort Testimony of Federal Health Officials on Employee Vaccinations
May 21, 2021

Federal health officials testified at a Senate committee hearing that about 60% of their employees have been vaccinated against COVID-19 so far. But viral online posts have distorted their comments to misleadingly claim that half of the employees “are refusing” the vaccines. The officials did not say anyone had refused to get vaccinated.