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North Korea's Vaccination Capabilities: Implications for a COVID-19 Campaign
From the Document: "Although the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) appears to have succeeded in preventing the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2 virus) from entering its borders, the drastic isolation measures have hurt its economy and taken a toll on the vulnerable population. As the pandemic shows no sign of abating, the country will need to explore a path to reopening while minimizing the risk to its people. Vaccines, while not a panacea, are indispensable to any strategy for reopening. However, questions have been raised about the country's ability to maintain the cold temperatures required for storage and transport and implement a national vaccination program. We analyze the DPRK's history with vaccines which shows that, with the proper preparations, it could carry out swift, nationwide campaigns. We also describe a theoretical vaccination road map using a combination of the AstraZeneca/Oxford and the mRNA (Moderna or the Pfizer-BioNTech) vaccines."
38 North; Henry L. Stimson Center
Shafik, Nagi M.; Ryder, C. Yoonhee; Park, Kee B.
2021-08-05
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Litigation of the CDC's Eviction Moratorium [August 2, 2021]
From the Document: "On August 1, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) order [hyperlink] imposing a nationwide, temporary federal moratorium on residential evictions for the nonpayment of rent expired [hyperlink]. The order was designed to prevent the further spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) by preventing [hyperlink] homelessness and overcrowded housing conditions that would result from evictions. [...] The eviction moratorium represented a broad federal inroad into what is traditionally [hyperlink] state and local governance of landlord-tenant law and an unprecedented use of a public health authority [hyperlink] for this purpose. A number of courts have addressed challenges to the CDC's legal authority to issue the order and reached conflicting conclusions on the order's legality. This Legal Sidebar analyzes the court decisions on the CDC's eviction moratorium order and examines ways in which Congress, if it determines that the CDC should be delegated such authority, might explore means to increase clarity regarding the CDC's legal authority to halt evictions in response to a pandemic in the future."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Carpenter, David Hatcher
2021-08-02
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Health Disparities by Race and Ethnicity During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Current Evidence and Policy Approaches
From the Introduction: "In order to contain the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic, it is crucial to address health equity for all racial and ethnic groups in terms of supporting timely access to and utilization of testing, treatment, and vaccination. This Issue Brief highlights evidence on what is currently known about COVID-19 disparities by race and ethnicity and outlines potential policy solutions to address COVID-19's disproportionate impact on certain racial and ethnic populations. The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) has been following these trends during the pandemic, and this report provides an updated evidence review in several areas - testing, infection rates, hospitalization and death rates, and vaccination - and concludes with a summary of potential policy solutions."
United States. Department of Health and Human Services. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
Simmons, Adelle; Chappel, Andre; Kolbe, Allison . . .
2021-03-16
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Preparedness Grants and FEMA Integration Team Effectiveness Case Study: Connecticut
From the Overview: "In July 2020, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) conducted a preparedness grants and FEMA Integration Team (FIT) effectiveness virtual case study with the State of Connecticut. The purpose of the study was to understand the role of FEMA preparedness grants and FITs in the state's coronavirus [disease 2019] (COVID-19) pandemic response. FEMA also drew from information that state officials in Connecticut provided through the Biannual Strategic Implementation Report (BSIR) and the Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA)/Stakeholder Preparedness Review (SPR). FEMA examined how Connecticut has used grant funds to support pandemic-specific core capabilities during its response. This case study identified three Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP)-funded projects that have impacted the state's public health capabilities response. These HSGP-funded investment projects were the New England Disaster Training Center (NEDTC), the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) Ottilie W. Lundgren Mobile Field Hospital, and the Capitol Region Metropolitan Medical Response System (CR-MMRS). This case study found that investments in equipment upgrades and training using Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) funds have played a significant role in supporting Connecticut's staffing, technological resource acquisition, and communication capabilities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
2021-03-05
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Positioning America's Public Health System for the Next Pandemic
From the Executive Summary: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic has made clear that the nation's safety, health, and economic prosperity are dependent on a robust public health system. Federal public health agencies and state and local public health departments have long been severely underfunded. They have lacked the workforce and modern data systems to support surveillance, contact tracing, testing, guidance on mitigation measures, administration of vaccines, and clear communication that is needed to stop infectious diseases from spreading across the country. In the beginning of the current pandemic, the federal government did not provide effective testing kits or clear and timely guidance to states, localities, tribes, and territories on COVID-19 mitigation measures, resulting in a delayed and fragmented national response. In addition, many Americans have chronic underlying health conditions such as obesity and heart disease, leaving them more likely to develop severe illness from the virus that causes COVID-19. Public health agencies and departments lack the resources to support prevention programs that might have reduced the prevalence of these conditions. Further, there are long-standing racial and socioeconomic inequities with respect to health and health care access. [...] Our recommendations focus on three areas: 1) creating clarity and accountability in federal leadership and operations during a pandemic; 2) improving public health information technology and data systems; and 3) committing the United States to more and consistent funding of public health to prepare for inevitable public health crises."
Bipartisan Policy Center
Daschle, Thomas; Frist, William H.; Wilensky, Gail R. . . .
2021-06
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Pains and Profits of Immigrant Imprisonment: Migrant Testimonies from ICE Detention Centers in the El Paso ICE Field Office
From the Executive Summary: "This report examines the experiences and concerns of 33 migrants incarcerated by ICE [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement] during the first months of the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic: March 13-June 19, 2020. [...] [C]omplaints [...] fell into five key themes of concern: 1) Daily micro-aggressions and humiliating treatment; [...] 2) Denial of reasonable and equitable access to telephone services and legal representation; [...] 3) Poor quality food, hunger and sickness; [...] 4) Cruel and inhumane sanitary conditions; [...] [and] 5) Insufficient protections from COVID-19[.] [...] Each of the five areas of concern expressed by migrants were evaluated in light of ICE's Performance Based National Detention Standards (PBNDS) and their Pandemic Response Requirements. According to these guiding documents, none of the five frequently expressed areas of concern should have existed because each represents a clear violation of ICE detention policy and procedure. We conclude that ICE detention standards are ineffective, that the use of private detention contractors incentivizes cost cutting, and that these cost cutting efforts endanger detained persons. Prior attempts to reform ICE detention and improve conditions have failed. The poor conditions and abuses detailed here are chronic, and are made more acute by the pandemic. There is no way to make immigration detention humane, and thus the detention system should be abolished."
Advocate Visitors with Immigrants in Detention (AVID); New Mexico State University; National Science Foundation (U.S.)
Brown Vega, Margaret; Craig, Nathan; Durkin, Emily . . .
2020-11-25
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Emergency Rental Assistance Through the Coronavirus Relief Fund [Updated July 9, 2021]
From the Summary: "In response to concerns about the economic effects of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on renters and their landlords, Congress created a $25 billion Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Division N of P.L. 116-260). A second round of ERA funding--$21.55 billion--was included in Section 3201 of the American Rescue Plan Act (P.L. 117-2). The ERA program is funded through the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) that was established by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act, P.L. 116-136) and implemented by the Department of the Treasury."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Driessen, Grant A.; Perl, Libby; McCarty, Maggie
2021-07-09
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Budgetary Effects of the Tax Credit for Employer-Paid Sick and Family Leave During the Coronavirus Pandemic
From the Document: "I am writing to provide information about the budgetary effects of the tax credit for employer-paid sick and family leave. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) required qualifying businesses to provide paid leave to employees for absences related to the coronavirus pandemic. [...] Subsequent legislation--the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and the Economic Security (CARES) Act; the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA); and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)--modified the credit and extended it through September 30, 2021. [...] CBO's [Congressional Budget Office] estimates of the credit's effects on revenues and outlays prepared near the time of FFCRA's enactment were reflected in its budget projections (often called its baseline) over the past year. On the basis of those original estimates of claims for the credit and the related behavioral responses, CBO increased projected deficits by approximately $113 billion in total--$105 billion upon the enactment of FFCRA and an additional $8 billion following the enactment of the CARES Act, the CAA, and ARPA."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
Swagel, Phillip
2021-07-16
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American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (P.L. 117-2): Public Health, Medical Supply Chain, Health Services, and Related Provisions [July 2, 2021]
From the Introduction: "The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA; P.L. 117-2) is the sixth major legislative package in a series to address domestic public health and health system challenges related to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic--the most consequential and widespread domestic infectious disease emergency in over a century. ARPA follows several earlier COVID-19 pandemic response measures enacted in 2020. ARPA includes provisions addressing a number of issues, such as tax credits, unemployment benefits, state fiscal relief, health, housing, education, and food assistance, among others. This report describes ARPA's public health, behavioral health, medical supply chain, and health-related workforce, services, and support provisions."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Duff, Johnathan H.; Cecire, Michael; Sekar, Kavya . . .
2021-07-02
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Behavioral Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Overview and Issues for Congress [July 2, 2021]
From the Summary: "Circumstances surrounding the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic--including mitigation strategies to prevent spread of the virus--appear to have adversely affected the mental health of many Americans. According to some studies, Americans experienced elevated levels of emotional distress, anxiety, depression, substance use, and drug-related overdoses in 2020 and 2021 compared with the same time period in previous years. Various stressors related to the pandemic may have contributed to decreased mental well-being, such as fears about contracting the virus, anxiety about its health effects, social isolation due to physical distancing measures, financial stress due to the economic consequences of the pandemic, grief and bereavement due to the death of a loved one, exposure to pandemic-related media coverage, and interruptions to substance use treatment and mental health care."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Duff, Johnathan H.; Romero, Paul D.; Sarata, Amanda K.
2021-07-02
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Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) and COVID-19 [Updated July 13, 2021]
From the Summary: "On June 21, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) promulgated an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) for the prevention of the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2], the virus that causes COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] in health care employment settings. The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act) gives OSHA the ability to promulgate an ETS that would remain in effect for up to six months without going through the normal review and comment process of rulemaking. OSHA, however, has rarely used this authority in the past--not since the courts struck down its ETS on asbestos in 1983. The OSHA COVID-19 ETS requires health care employers to develop COVID-19 plans and protect employees from COVID-19 exposure through health screenings, personal protective equipment (PPE), building ventilation, and physical distancing and barriers. The ETS requires healthcare employers to remove any employees with COVID-19 from the workplace while providing them with certain benefits. Health care employers are not required to mandate that their employees receive a COVID-19 vaccine but must provide reasonable time off for employees to receive a vaccine and recover from any vaccine-related side effects. The ETS includes new COVID-19 recordkeeping and reporting requirements for health care employers and permits health care employers to forgo the medical evaluation and fit-testing requirements of OSHA's respiratory protection standard when providing respirators to employees in certain circumstances."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Szymendera, Scott
2021-07-13
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Resources for Tracking Federal COVID-19 Spending [Updated July 7, 2021]
From the Summary: "Congress has responded to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic with supplemental appropriations measures providing relief and assistance to individuals and families, state and local governments, businesses, health care providers, and other entities. For more information, see CRS [Congressional Research Service] Report R46474, 'Laws Enacted in Response to COVID-19: Resources for Congressional Offices', by Meredith Sund. This report provides selected sources for tracking COVID-19 relief and assistance spending."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Teefy, Jennifer; Kreiser, Maria
2021-07-07
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Sovereign Debt and the COVID-19 Pandemic [July 16, 2021]
From the Document: "The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the ensuing downturn in economic growth has had significant economic and financial consequence for low-income countries. The World Bank estimates that the pandemic led to 97 million more people being in poverty in 2020. Several countries have already defaulted on their sovereign debt, and many others are at high levels of debt distress, potentially impeding their ability to support recovery."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Weiss, Martin A.
2021-07-16
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Global Economic Effects of COVID-19 [Updated July 9, 2021]
From the Summary: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] viral pandemic continues to be a highly personal, individual experience that is also an unprecedented globally shared phenomenon with wide-ranging repercussions. The pandemic has disrupted lives across all countries and communities and negatively affected global economic growth in 2020 beyond anything experienced in nearly a century. Estimates indicate the virus reduced global economic growth in 2020 to an annualized rate of -3.4% to -7.6%, with a recovery of 4.2% to 5.6% projected for 2021. Global trade is estimated to have fallen by 5.3% in 2020, but is projected to grow by 8.0% in 2021. According to a consensus of forecasts, the economic downturn in 2020 was not as negative as initially estimated, due in part to the fiscal and monetary policies governments adopted in 2020. Generally, economic growth forecasts captured the decline and subsequent rebound in economic growth over the second and third quarters of 2020, but have been challenged since by the prolonged nature of the health crisis and its continuing impact on the global economy."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Jackson, James K., 1949-; Nelson, Rebecca M.; Weiss, Martin A. . . .
2021-07-09
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CARES Act: Selected Data on Coronavirus-Related Distribution and Loan Usage in 2020 [July 13, 2021]
From the Introduction: "Section 2202 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act; P.L. 116- 136) waived the 10% penalty for certain early withdrawals from retirement accounts--referred to as coronavirus-related distributions (CRDs)--and modified rules for loans from defined contribution (DC) plans in 2020 to try to assist those who may have faced financial difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 1 Retirement plans were permitted, but not required, to adopt CRDs and/or the loan provisions. These provisions--which were similar to those enacted following certain previous federally declared major disasters--expired in 2020 and, as of the date of this report, have not been extended by subsequent legislation. Following enactment of the CARES Act, some expressed concern about the use of the provisions and the extent to which usage might negatively affect retirement security. 2 Selected data on employers' adoption and individuals' utilization of the CARES Act's CRD and loan provisions in 2020 seems to indicate modest usage of these provisions. This data might be informative to Congress in understanding retirement account withdrawal and loan behavior during disasters."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Myers, Elizabeth A.
2021-07-13
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CDC's Federal Eviction Moratorium [Updated June 30, 2021]
From the Document: "On September 4, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) imposed a nationwide temporary federal moratorium on residential evictions [hyperlink] for nonpayment of rent. The order is intended to prevent the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) by preventing homelessness and overcrowded housing conditions resulting from eviction. The action, which followed an Executive Order [hyperlink] directing the CDC to consider such a measure, was unprecedented, both in terms of the federal reach into what is traditionally state and local governance of landlord-tenant law and its use of a public health authority [hyperlink]. Since the issuance of the order, several courts have issued conflicting decisions on the eviction moratorium's legality and, while no court has issued an order enjoining the moratorium's enforcement nationwide, the conflicting judicial rulings have left a cloud of uncertainty [hyperlink] regarding the order's enforceability."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
McCarty, Maggie; Perl, Libby; Carpenter, David Hatcher
2021-06-30
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FEMA Funeral Assistance for COVID-19 [Updated June 30, 2021]
From the Document: "Congress authorized the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide Funeral Assistance for deaths associated with the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This Insight provides an overview of FEMA COVID-19 Funeral Assistance, including eligible expenses, applicant eligibility criteria, and award amounts."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Webster, Elizabeth M.
2021-06-30
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COVID-19 Best Practice Information: Natural Hazards Preparedness
From the Background: "[1] This document describes recommendations and best practices for state, local, tribal, and territorial officials when managing the risks posed simultaneously by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and natural hazards [2] Many parts of the country will have to respond to severe weather events, including tornadoes, flooding, wildfires, typhoons, and extreme heat, while also continuing to respond to COVID-19. [3] The following is a list of key findings and considerations for jurisdictions and communities regarding ongoing COVID-19 operations across the country. These are best practices for consideration and do not constitute and should not be considered as guidance in any way."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
2020-06-25
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COVID-19 Healthcare Funding Decision Framework: Supplement to the 'COVID-19 Healthcare Resource Roadmap (Version 2.0)'
From the Document: "This 'COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Healthcare Funding Decision Framework' is intended to assist stakeholders who are navigating healthcare challenges attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the identification, sequencing, administration, and management of funding resources. This document is a supplement to the 'COVID-19 Healthcare Resource Roadmap (Version 2.0)' [hyperlink] and has three main components: strategy identification, additional considerations for federal funding implementation and potential alignment, and case studies. The information that follows highlights how different funding streams can be applied to address one challenge area from the Roadmap: Vaccine Administration. However, the decision-making pathways and additional considerations outlined here may also be applied to other stakeholder challenges."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
2021-07-08
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COVID-19 Housing Resource Roadmap (Version 2.0)
"This 'COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Housing Resource Roadmap' (Roadmap) is to assist state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) leaders and other interested parties with navigating some of the challenges, as well as the resources, associated with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Specifically, the Roadmap describes how supplemental appropriated funds and certain ongoing annually funded federal programs can be used to implement potential solutions. [...] The Roadmap is to assist in challenges that federal departments and agencies which work directly with
SLTT partners have identified in delivering housing support."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
2021-06-16
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COVID-19 Economic Recovery Resource Roadmap (Version 2.0)
From the Document: "This 'COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Economic Recovery Resource Roadmap' (Roadmap) was developed to assist state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) leaders and other interested parties with navigating some of the challenges, as well as the resources, associated with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Specifically, the Roadmap describes how supplemental appropriated funds and certain ongoing annually funded federal programs can be used to implement potential solutions."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
2021-06-22
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COVID-19: The Coast Guard Has Addressed Challenges, but Could Improve Telework Documentation and Personnel Data, Report to Congressional Addressees
From the Highlights: "The Coast Guard is a multi-mission maritime military service responsible for maritime safety, security, and environmental protection, among other things. During the pandemic, the Coast Guard has faced challenges in balancing the need to safeguard its personnel with its responsibility to continue missions and operations. In response to a CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act mandate and congressional requests, GAO [Government Accountability Office] reviewed the Coast Guard's efforts to respond to the pandemic. This report examines (1) the Coast Guard's actions to reduce the risk of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] exposure for its personnel; (2) challenges the Coast Guard faced in operating in a pandemic environment and how it addressed them; and (3) the extent to which the Coast Guard has collected and maintained valid and current telework documentation, as well as accurate and complete COVID19 data on its personnel."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-07
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COVID-19 Education Resource Roadmap (Version 2.0)
From the Document: "This 'COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Education Resource Roadmap' (Roadmap) was developed to assist state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) leaders and other interested parties with navigating some of the challenges, as well as the resources, associated with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Specifically, the Roadmap describes how supplemental appropriated funds and certain ongoing annually funded federal programs can be used to implement potential solutions. [...] The Roadmap is to assist in challenges that federal departments and agencies which work directly with SLTT partners have identified in delivering educational support."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
2021-07-07
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COVID-19 Healthcare Resource Roadmap (Version 2.0)
From the Document: "This 'COVID-19 Healthcare Resource Roadmap (Version 2.0)' (Roadmap) was developed to assist state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) leaders and other interested parties with navigating some of the challenges, as well as the resources, associated with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Specifically, the Roadmap describes how supplemental appropriated funds and certain ongoing annually funded federal programs can be used to implement potential solutions. [...] The Roadmap is to assist in challenges that federal departments and agencies, which work directly with SLTT partners, have identified in delivering healthcare services."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
2021-07-08
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Guía operacional para la pandemia de COVID-19: Respuesta y recuperación ante incidentes por todos los peligros
"La pandemia de COVID-19 exigió una respuesta sin precedentes de todo el gobierno. Aunque el país ha hecho un progreso importante, la pandemia no ha terminado. FEMA les recomienda a los funcionarios de manejo de emergencias que apliquen las lecciones aprendidas de la pandemia y de otros desastres para anticipar nuevas dificultades operativas mientras protegen la salud y seguridad de todos los sobrevivientes de desastres y de la fuerza laboral en desastres. Al garantizar una comprensión compartida de las expectativas entre FEMA y colaboradores SLTT, los funcionarios de manejo de emergencias de todos los niveles estarán mejor preparados para cumplir de manera satisfactoria sus misiones en 2021."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
2021-05
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Confronting Health Misinformation: 'The U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory on Building a Healthy Information Environment'
From the Background: "During the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic, people have been exposed to a great deal of information: news, public health guidance, fact sheets, infographics, research, opinions, rumors, myths, falsehoods, and more. The World Health Organization and the United Nations have characterized this unprecedented spread of information as an 'infodemic.' While information has helped people stay safe throughout the pandemic, it has at times led to confusion. For example, scientific knowledge about COVID-19 has evolved rapidly over the past year, sometimes leading to changes in public health recommendations. Updating assessments and recommendations based on new evidence is an essential part of the scientific process, and further changes are to be expected as we continue learning more about COVID-19. But without sufficient communication that provides clarity and context, many people have had trouble figuring out what to believe, which sources to trust, and how to keep up with changing knowledge and guidance. Amid all this information, many people have also been exposed to health misinformation: information that is false, inaccurate, or misleading according to the best available evidence at the time. Misinformation has caused confusion and led people to decline COVID-19 vaccines, reject public health measures such as masking and physical distancing, and use unproven treatments."
United States. Public Health Service. Office of the Surgeon General
Murthy, Vivek Hallegere, 1977-
2021
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Virality Project Weekly Briefing #29: 'July 7, 2021 - July 13, 2021'
From the Key Takeaways: "[1] As vaccination rates plateau in the US, the Biden administration's pledge to begin 'door-to-door vaccine outreach' [hyperlink] 'sparked outrage over 'government overreach'' particularly among right wing influencers. [2] COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] cases and deaths are again rising due to the spread of the Delta variant. Yet as the Virality Project 'reported' [hyperlink] last week, 'skepticism about the existence and origins of the Delta variant, its risks, and the vaccine's ability to protect against it, all continue to spread on social media.' This week, we saw skepticism across platforms, driven by a lack of clear scientific information that has been plugged with older conspiracies about the vaccine. [3] Capitalizing on 'routine concerns' [hyperlink] that COVID-19 vaccines are somehow poisonous, a Spanish organization spread faux research that the vaccines contain a compound called graphene oxide. The claim was picked up by anti-vaccine and conspiracy circles online. [4] 'Emerging news:' The FDA issued a warning that the J&J vaccine can lead to an increased risk of Guillain-Barré syndrome. Our analysts are 'monitoring the spread of this news' [hyperlink] and any backlash it creates."
Virality Project
2021
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Virality Project [website]
From the Website: "The 'Virality Project' is a coalition of research entities focused on supporting real-time information exchange between the research community, public health officials, government agencies, civil society organizations, and social media platforms. Our objective is to detect, analyze, and respond to incidents of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] vaccine disinformation across online ecosystems, and ultimately mitigate the impact of narratives which would otherwise undermine the public's confidence in the safety of these processes in the United States."
Virality Project
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Virality Project Weekly Briefing #18: 'April 20, 2021 - April 27, 2021'
From the Key Takeaways: "[1] The Virality Project published a rapid response analysis on vaccine shedding narratives [hyperlink] targeting women and found that 'general concerns about vaccine impact on women's health may enable the spread of false shedding claims.' [2] Concerns stemming from an 'Israeli study linking vaccines to shingles and CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] reports on a limited number of breakthrough cases' spread within vaccine hesitant online communities, though 'negative engagement has largely declined.' [3] An 'unfounded story about a girl who was hospitalized after receiving a vaccine' should be taken as a warning that anti-vaccine narratives will focus on children as we progress towards vaccine authorization for them."
Virality Project
2021-04-27
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Virality Project Weekly Briefing #20: 'May 5, 2021 - May 11, 2021'
From the Key Takeaways: "[1] After the FDA approved the Pfizer COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] vaccine for use in adolescents, we are observing similar anti-vaccine narratives to those about other vaccines. The primary concerns are about 'subjecting children to 'experimental' vaccines' and fears that 'perceived vaccine risk is greater' than the risk of getting COVID-19. [2] Videos this week of a 'man stealing a dose of the J&J [Johnson & Johnson] vaccine' to prove it is poisonous and of 'people putting magnets over their vaccine injections' furthered vaccine safety conspiracy theories. [3] The false vaccine 'shedding' narrative that unvaccinated women can experience reactions from vaccinated women continues to spread as 'anti-vaccine communities apply false scientific backings.' These concerns also spread in Chinese and Spanish language groups."
Virality Project
2021-05-11
