Facebook Twitter Tumblr Close Skip to main content
A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 Vaccine Formulation Tweaked to Improve Stability

Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 Vaccine Formulation Tweaked to Improve Stability
November 19, 2021

With the release of its pediatric COVID-19 vaccine, Pfizer switched the buffer used in its formulation to increase the stability of the product, allowing it to remain at refrigerator temperatures for longer. The Food and Drug Administration OK’d the change, which is also being made to some doses for teens and adults. Social media posts, however, misleadingly suggest that the ingredient swap is dangerous or was added to prevent heart attacks in children.

CBO: Build Back Better Not Quite ‘Fully Paid For’

CBO: Build Back Better Not Quite ‘Fully Paid For’
November 19, 2021

For weeks, President Joe Biden has been saying the Build Back Better plan would be “fully paid for” and would not increase the deficit. But the official congressional scorekeeper in its long-awaited final analysis contradicted the president’s claims.

Colorado Order Addresses Surge in Hospitalizations, Not Vaccination Status

Colorado Order Addresses Surge in Hospitalizations, Not Vaccination Status
November 18, 2021

Responding to a surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed an executive order on Oct. 31 allowing hospitals that are at or near capacity to transfer or stop admitting patients. Social media posts falsely claimed the order says hospitals can “refuse to treat the unvaccinated.” But the order doesn’t mention vaccination status.

Posts Misrepresent Data to Falsely Claim Italy Reduced Its COVID-19 Death Count

Posts Misrepresent Data to Falsely Claim Italy Reduced Its COVID-19 Death Count
November 18, 2021

The vast majority of people who have died with COVID-19 had other medical conditions that put them at risk of severe disease, or other conditions caused by COVID-19. But internet posts misinterpret data about those conditions to falsely claim that Italy has reduced its count of COVID-19 deaths. It hasn’t.

Rittenhouse Testified He Drove Himself to Kenosha Without Weapon

Rittenhouse Testified He Drove Himself to Kenosha Without Weapon
November 17, 2021

Kyle Rittenhouse, who is on trial for murder, testified in court that he drove himself from his home in Antioch, Illinois, to Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Aug. 24, 2020, the day before he shot and killed two men at a protest that became violent. The weapon he used, according to testimony, had been stored at a friend’s house in Kenosha. Democratic Rep. Karen Bass falsely claimed that Kyle’s mother drove her armed son across the Illinois-Wisconsin border.

Electric Vehicle Tax Credits in Democratic Plan

Electric Vehicle Tax Credits in Democratic Plan
November 11, 2021

The House’s current Build Back Better plan calls for extending a $7,500 tax credit for the purchase of electric vehicles, and it includes an additional $4,500 credit for electric vehicles built in the U.S. by union labor. We provide an explainer of what is being proposed. 

Viral Posts Make Unfounded Claims After Newsom Gets COVID-19 Booster

Viral Posts Make Unfounded Claims After Newsom Gets COVID-19 Booster
November 11, 2021

After getting the COVID-19 booster on Oct. 27, California Gov. Gavin Newsom canceled a trip and did not participate in any official public events for 12 days. Social media posts claimed, without evidence, that Newsom was suffering serious side effects from the booster. But his staff denied that he had an “adverse reaction” to the shot and, during this time, he appeared twice on social media and reportedly attended a wedding.

Video Questioning Vaccine Efficacy Pushes Falsehood About Israel Data

Video Questioning Vaccine Efficacy Pushes Falsehood About Israel Data
November 10, 2021

The COVID-19 death rate for unvaccinated people has been significantly higher than for vaccinated people in both Israel and the U.S. Despite that, conservative commentator Ben Swann makes the false claim in a video that Israeli data prove vaccines aren’t effective in preventing hospitalizations and deaths. But the charts he uses don’t distinguish between vaccinated and unvaccinated patients.