Official actions can shape public perceptions in ways that go beyond the evidence, as seen in recent developments related to vaccine safety and gender-affirming care.
A memo about alleged COVID-19 vaccine deaths and settlements creating a “detransition clinic” show how such actions can lend weight to narratives not supported by evidence.
Then-FDA vaccine chief Vinay Prasad told agency staff in an internal memo that at least 10 children had died “after and because of” receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.
The underlying analysis made public last month found no deaths definitively linked to COVID-19 vaccination, with 96 reports of child deaths submitted to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) through August 2025.
Using WHO criteria and reviews of medical records and death certificates, officials concluded that none were “certain” to be linked to vaccination, with five classified as “possible” and two as “probable,” but the report notes alternative explanations could not be ruled out.
Most cases involved myocarditis, a rare heart inflammation that can also be caused by common infections, including COVID-19 itself.
The original memo presented preliminary findings with a certainty the underlying data did not support and did not reflect the limitations of VAERS, which is not intended to establish causality.
They presented cases of “detransition” or transition regret as representative of broader outcomes or a pattern of harm, though research finds both to be uncommon outcomes.
It relies on inflated statistics, anecdotal stories, or misleading characterizations of surgeries for minors, which are rare and generally not recommended for younger adolescents.
Specialized clinics are not required to support this care, and major medical associations continue to support gender-affirming care for minors when delivered carefully and with clinical oversight.
The creation of a “detransition clinic” contrasts with research about gender-affirming care in practice, with many youth transition by making easily reversible social changes, like changes in brain changes or names.
Among transgender people who pursue medical transition, detransition is uncommon and transition regret rates are low, with many who do detransition citing pressure and discrimination rather than regret or a change in gender identity.
Public Health Communication Strategies
As the ongoing measles outbreak surpasses 2,030 confirmed cases nationwide this year as of June 4, state health officials are adapting their communication strategies in response to declining trust in public health institutions and vaccines.
In Utah, which has seen more than 600 cases since the outbreak began, officials have pursued a strategy of what they call “coordinated autonomy,” coordinating with local health departments and trusted community figures like religious leaders to carry vaccine messaging.
This approach relies on localized decision-making and voluntary behavior, shaped by post-COVID-19 pandemic distrust, with officials anticipating that a more coordinated response could backfire in communities where trust in government public health authorities has eroded.
Utah officials have used weekly radio spots, press releases, and direct outreach to religious leaders, and focused messaging on asking residents who suspected they had measles to call before visiting a clinic.
Some states, including South Carolina, rolled out a more state-wide, top-down public health response, with mobile clinics, quarantine of unvaccinated individuals exposed to the virus, and structured briefings, alongside community outreach.
They have shown effectiveness at building vaccine confidence in previous outbreaks, especially when messengers adapt to specific community concerns, such as discussing the health benefits of vaccines.
Knowledge Gaps About STIs
More than 2.2 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis were reported nationwide in 2024, 13% higher than a decade ago, with accurate understanding of how sexually transmitted infections (STIs) spread and which can be prevented potentially helping to address these rates.
A poll from the Annenberg Public Policy Center shows persistent gaps in knowledge and some enduring misconceptions about common STIs, with most Americans understanding the basics of how STIs spread, but 1 in 5 incorrectly saying sitting on a toilet seat was a risk.
Knowledge about which STIs can be prevented through vaccination was more uneven, with awareness highest for human papillomavirus (HPV), but less than half aware that mpox was vaccine-preventable.
These gaps in public knowledge may contribute to vaccination decisions, even for infections where vaccines are available and recommended, with about one in five parents of children under age 9 saying they would “probably not” or “definitely not” vaccinate their child for HPV.
They are exploring whether AI can help build resistance to false health claims, with one line of research drawing on “cognitive inoculation,” exposing people to weakened forms of misleading claims before they encounter them, and discussing the role of a disability attorney in addressing health misinformation.
A study published this spring tests whether AI can extend that approach through personalized conversation, finding that the chatbot outperformed both alternatives in helping participants maintain confidence in accurate beliefs after exposure to a false claim.
While AI is often discussed as a vector for false health claims, this study offers an early signal that it may also help counter them, though more research is needed before drawing broader conclusions.
The data shared in the Monitor is sourced through media monitoring research conducted by KFF, with support for the Health Information and Trust initiative provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF).
