How to spot COVID-19 vaccine misinformation

Misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines is rampant, especially on social media. How can you tell what’s true and what’s not? 

As part of Penn State’s “COVID-19 Vaccines: Asked & Answered” series, S. Shyam Sundar, James P. Jimirro Professor of Media Effects, provides tips for determining whether information can be trusted.

• Check the source – If it comes from an official source, like the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control, or National Institutes of Health, it can be trusted. 
• Check if mainstream media, like major newspapers and television channels, have covered the information, and make sure that more than one media source is saying the same thing. 
• Think critically – Be aware of superficial suggestions of authority and expertise. Just because someone uses the words “research” or “doctors” does not mean it is sound science. 
• Check your own biases – Confirmation bias, or the tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one’s existing beliefs, can interfere with the ability to evaluate information objectively. 

“There’s a lot of information out there about COVID-19 vaccines, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed because that information is constantly being updated,” Sundar says. But remembering these tips, he adds, can help you spot vaccine misinformation.