Fake News About Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Becomes Most Searched Trend on China’s Social Media
A negative news report on Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine recently set off a debate on China’s social media.
On Jan. 27, an article titled “WHO Does Not Recommend MODERNA COVID-19 Vaccines” appeared on a host of Chinese state media outlets, including the Global Times, Guancha, iFeng Tech, and official accounts of local governments. This topic became so heated that it rocketed to fourth place on the list of the most searched hashtags on China’s social media Weibo.
But the report turned out to be a misrepresentation of information from the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO guidance issued on Jan. 25 had advised against the use of the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based firm’s vaccine by those under 18 or who are pregnant.