Do You Know the Facts About the COVID-19 Vax? Quiz by HealthGuard

Question: Three of the following websites are reliable sources of vaccine information, but one spreads falsehoods about vaccines. Based solely on the domain names below, can you tell which of these websites is the unreliable source?

Answer: Vaccines.gov is run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Immunize.org serves as the website for the nonprofit Immunization Action Coalition, and ScientificAmerican.com is the website of the oldest scientific magazine in the United States — all of which are credible. On the other hand, VaccineImpact.com is part of a network of sites that has repeatedly published health misinformation.

Question: Can you determine which headline published on the date of Baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron’s death is misleading?

Answer: The headline designed to mislead readers is from NOQ Report, a conservative website that has published false claims about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines. The headline baselessly implies that Aaron’s death was caused by the vaccine he received, when in reality, the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office reported that Aaron died of natural causes and they did not believe the COVID-19 vaccine had any adverse effect on Aaron’s health or contribute to his death. This is also the only headline that doesn’t state Aaron’s age at death of 86, ten years above the national average life expectancy.

Question: Which of the following is a signal that a website is not being fully transparent with its readers?

Answer: All of these practices factor into NewsGuard’s ratings of the transparency of sources. [HealthGuard, a service of NewsGuard, is responsible for creating this quiz.] Another signal that a website is not being fully transparent with its readers is that the stories’ bylines only list the first names of the authors. Transparent news sources clearly publish information about their authors, leadership, financing, and potential conflicts of interest, while also labeling paid content. Source transparency is especially important when it comes to COVID-19 vaccine information, as there are companies and individuals with a vested interest in misinforming the public.

Question: Which of the following possible errors in an article about COVID-19 vaccines could cause the news outlet to issue a correction?

Answer: All of those mistakes are possible reasons for issuing a correction in a story about COVID-19 vaccines. Media outlets should publish corrections if a story contains false information or statistics, along with misspelled names and misattributed quotes.

Question: What can one do to verify if a story about COVID-19 vaccines is reporting accurate information?

Answer: All of these are great methods for distinguishing accurate information from misinformation. Checking the veracity of articles and claims is an important skill, especially when it comes to a topic like COVID-19 vaccines, which has been the focus of many recent disinformation campaigns.

Question: Based on their headlines, can you determine which of the following stories is satirical? Select the satire article.

Answer: The only example of a satirical article is “Americans Scrambling For Covid Vaccine After CDC Director Announces Thousands Of Doses Buried Somewhere In California,” which was published by The Onion, a satirical news website. All the other articles ran as news on the websites of various credible newspapers.

Question: Based solely on their headlines, can you tell which of the following is an opinion article, as opposed to a news article? Select one opinion article.

Answer: The only opinion story listed is “Why states should give the new Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to young adults first” from The Chicago Tribune, as signaled by the use of the word “should,” which indicates the author is expressing their opinion about vaccine distribution. “Can I gather with friends and family after getting the COVID-19 vaccine? Can I travel? Here are what health experts say,” from USA Today, is a news story because the article’s advice comes from health experts, not the author.

Question: Which of the following statements is actually a COVID-19 vaccine myth that has been debunked?

Answer: The statement “The vaccines can cause people to develop COVID-19” is a vaccine myth that has been debunked by NewsGuard and others. [HealthGuard, a service of NewsGuard, is responsible for creating this quiz.] None of the vaccines authorized for widespread use contains the live virus, so “a COVID-19 vaccine cannot make you sick with COVID-19,” as stated on the CDC’s website. The other answers report facts, as Pfizer and Moderna decided not to include pregnant people in their trials, the CDC recommends that those who have recovered from COVID-19 still get vaccinated because experts do not know how long immunity lasts after recovery, and Moderna and Pfizer both reported 95% effectiveness rates in the clinical trials mid-November, before being approved by the U.S. FDA.

Question: You notice a friend has spread a story on social media that appears to contain misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines. How can you alert the person and stop the spread of false information?

Answer: All of these are appropriate measures to fight against COVID-19 misinformation, which often circulates on social media. Another measure is to share a list with the person of COVID-19 vaccine myths and their debunks, such as the one NewsGuard has published. [HealthGuard, a service of NewsGuard, is responsible for creating this quiz.] Just remember to be respectful in presenting verified information and not aggressive; anyone can fall prey to sharing misinformation.