Misleading posts falsely claimed that a CDC tweet highlighted the importance of vaccination by suggesting the new variant is more contagious among the vaccinated than the unvaccinated.
Misleading social media posts have falsely suggested that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) downplayed the importance of vaccination by implying that unvaccinated individuals might have an advantage against the new COVID-19 variant when compared to vaccinated individuals.
According to an article published by PolitiFact, misleading social media posts have claimed that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggested that unvaccinated individuals would fare better against the new COVID-19 variant compared to vaccinated individuals. However, this claim is inaccurate, and it underscores the importance of vaccination. The CDC clarified that this is not the case.
The misleading posts presented a screenshot of an alleged CDC tweet stating that the new variant is more contagious among vaccinated people than among those who are unvaccinated.
An Instagram post containing this image was flagged for misinformation, and though the original post could not be found, similar claims have been shared by various accounts, highlighting the importance of vaccination.
In reality, the CDC posted a risk assessment summary for the new variant (BA.2.86) on August 23, emphasizing the importance of vaccination.
While the CDC acknowledged that variations in the virus can impact its contagiousness, response to treatment, and severity of effects, it also stated that existing tests and medications are effective against this variant.The CDC cautioned that this variant might be more capable of causing infection in individuals who previously had COVID-19 or received vaccinations, highlighting the importance of vaccination.
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The CDC is developing an updated vaccine that is expected to effectively reduce severe disease and hospitalization caused by the new variant, emphasizing once again the importance of vaccination.
According to an article published by AP News, the CDC continues to recommend vaccination against COVID-19 and clarifies that its previous statement does not imply that unvaccinated people are less likely to be infected by the new variant than vaccinated people, reinforcing the importance of vaccination throughout this process.
The CDC provided a statement in response to the claim, mentioning that they are still determining the transmissibility of this variant compared to others.
The statement emphasizes the importance of vaccination and highlights that vaccination remains the safest strategy for avoiding severe illness, hospitalization, and death. It reaffirms that COVID-19 vaccines are successful in protecting individuals from severe outcomes.
In conclusion, the claim that the CDC suggested unvaccinated individuals would fare better against the new variant than vaccinated individuals is false. The CDC supports the importance of vaccination as the best means of preventing severe illness and its related consequences.