When Myths Spread Faster than Facts

Emory Health Digest | Winter 2026

Vaccine hesitancy has been around as long as vaccines themselves.

Within a few years of British physician Edward Jenner’s test of the smallpox vaccination, an anti-vaccine cartoon was published in a British newspaper showing cow heads emerging from inoculation locations on the body, referencing the use of material from cowpox lesions.

More recent events—some fact based and some not—fueled vaccine skepticism. In 1955, some children developed polio after being vaccinated with the inactivated polio virus as a result of errors in the production of the vaccines.

In 1982, concerns about the whole-cell pertussis component of the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) vaccine were featured in the controversial documentary “DPT: Vaccine Roulette.”

And in 1998, surgeon and anti-vaccine activist Andrew Wakefield claimed in a case series study to identify a link between the MMR vaccine and the development of autism. Even though the paper was subsequently found to be fraudulent and ultimately retracted, the concern remains today.

Social media has ramped up the volume

“Tik Tok, X, Facebook—all the social media platforms have allowed not just misinformation but disinformation about vaccines to circulate widely,” says Jodie Guest, professor of epidemiology at the Rollins School of Public Health. “During the COVID pandemic, an analysis found that 80 percent of the disinformation circulating on social media began with 11 posters. These few voices got amplified by millions and millions of different posts.”

Pediatric nurse practitioner Stacy Buchanan encountered a growing number of parents swayed by things they had read online when she was working in primary care. “Many of the moms I saw were getting their information from online mommy blogs, TikTok, and peers,” says Buchanan, assistant clinical professor at Emory’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. “They used to tell me all the time that they wanted to do their own research, but they were referring to those sources. I would say, ‘That’s fine,’ and try to direct them to sources that had good, evidence-based information and not a lot of nonsense.”

To build trust, it’s important to emphasize that scientific hypotheses can change along with subsequent medical advice. “During the H1N1 outbreak (in 2009), the CDC prefaced almost every announcement by saying, ‘This is what we know right now, but this is an ever-evolving situation. We will let you know when there are changes as soon as they develop,’ ” says Robert Bednarczyk, associate professor of epidemiology and global health at the Rollins School of Public Health. “The general public, I think, appreciated and respected that level of transparency.”

Public health practitioners and scientists are not always the best communicators about the value and impact of what they do, says Guest. “We tend to put our heads down and do good work but don’t broadcast what we are doing,” she says. “We need to do a much better job of listening, addressing concerns and questions, and meeting people where they are, like on TikTok and X. It’s on us to figure out how we need to change to connect with the public, and we need to be doing it as fast as possible.”

Vaccine Myths vs. Facts

Myth: Vaccines cause autism.

Fact: This claim originated from a now-discredited case series of 12 children and has been thoroughly debunked in large, well-designed studies involving millions of children. No credible evidence links vaccines to autism.

Myth: Natural immunity is better.

Fact: While infection can provide immunity, it also carries real risks—hospitalization, long-term complications, or even death. Vaccines provide safe, controlled exposure that trains the immune system with much less risk.

Myth: Vaccines are rushed or experimental.

Fact: Vaccine development is faster now because of decades of foundational science, global collaboration, and modern technology—but that doesn’t mean shortcuts were taken. Vaccines still undergo rigorous clinical trials and safety monitoring.

Myth: Too many vaccines overwhelm the immune system.

Fact: Children are exposed to far more pathogens daily just by playing outside or going to school. The immune system is fully capable of handling the current vaccine schedule.

Myth: Vaccines contain dangerous toxins.

Fact: Ingredients like aluminum or preservatives are used in tiny, safe amounts.

Written by Martha Nolan, design by Peta Westmaas, and historical illustration Alamy