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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

It’s Not News, Nor ‘Scandalous,’ That Pfizer Trial Didn’t Test Transmission

It’s Not News, Nor ‘Scandalous,’ That Pfizer Trial Didn’t Test Transmission

The COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials were designed to study the vaccine’s safety and efficacy in preventing symptomatic disease, not transmission. But online publications now misleadingly present the fact that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was not tested for transmission as a “shocking admission” and proof that the company and the government lied.

In Context: Laxalt’s Comments on Latino Businesses

In Context: Laxalt’s Comments on Latino Businesses

In the tight Senate race in Nevada, where nearly a third of the population is Latino, the campaigns of Republican challenger Adam Laxalt and Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto have been locked in a dispute over remarks Laxalt made about the impact of the pandemic on Latino jobs and businesses.

COVID-19 Vaccine Opponents Misrepresent CDC Webcast on Causes of Blood Clots

COVID-19 Vaccine Opponents Misrepresent CDC Webcast on Causes of Blood Clots

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hosted an online seminar about the treatment of blood clots, which is expected to grow as the U.S. population ages and the obesity rate increases. But some vaccine opponents misrepresented the webinar to falsely suggest that the projected rise in blood clots is related to the COVID-19 vaccines.

Posts Take Biden’s Vaccination and Hurricane Prep Comments Out of Context, Again

Posts Take Biden’s Vaccination and Hurricane Prep Comments Out of Context, Again

Last year, President Joe Biden made a special plea to residents in hurricane-prone states to get vaccinated against COVID-19 in advance of possible evacuations or shelter stays. Now, as Hurricane Ian approached Florida, social media posts recycled an old clip of his comments to misleadingly claim he thinks the vaccines will protect against the storm.

Q&A on Omicron-Updated COVID-19 Boosters

Q&A on Omicron-Updated COVID-19 Boosters

Retooled COVID-19 booster vaccines that target omicron subvariants of the coronavirus are now available in the U.S. Here, we answer questions about the new shots.

Biden’s Misleading Claims About the Economic Recovery and Unemployment

Biden’s Misleading Claims About the Economic Recovery and Unemployment

When President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan into law in March 2021, U.S. gross domestic product had increased for three quarters straight, and the unemployment rate had decreased nearly nine percentage points from its pandemic peak. But Biden wrongly credited the Democratic COVID-19 relief bill with rescuing a U.S. economy “in decline.”

Is the Pandemic ‘Over’? Biden Says So, But Scientists Say That’s Up for Debate

Is the Pandemic ‘Over’? Biden Says So, But Scientists Say That’s Up for Debate

In a surprise moment in a “60 Minutes” interview, President Joe Biden said the COVID-19 pandemic “is over.” While he correctly acknowledged that the coronavirus was still a problem, epidemiologists say there’s no single agreed-upon definition for what constitutes the end of a pandemic — and some say we’re not there yet.

Viral Posts Spin Falsehood Out of Denmark’s COVID-19 Booster Drive

Viral Posts Spin Falsehood Out of Denmark’s COVID-19 Booster Drive

Denmark announced a plan for its fall COVID-19 vaccination drive, saying it will offer omicron-specific booster shots to high-risk individuals, including everyone 50 and over. But U.S.-based misinformation peddlers misleadingly suggest that means the shots are unsafe for those under 50. The Danish Health Authority said that is a misinterpretation.