A Simple Guide to Checking Vaccine Facts | SAPHL
SAPHL Fact-Checking Guide
Southern Alliance for Public Health Leadership

A Simple Guide to Checking Vaccine Facts

A straightforward tool for health workers and community leaders in the South to figure out what's true, what's false, and how to talk about it simply and respectfully.

Start Here: Knowing When to Dig Deeper

1

When to use this guide

You don't need to investigate every single rumor you hear. Only take the time for a deep dive when a claim is:

  • • Brand new to you or your team
  • • A big deal that could change someone's health choices
  • • Keeps coming up in different conversations
  • • Likely to affect a lot of people in your community
2

Is it about facts, or feelings?

Before looking up science papers, figure out what the person is really worried about.

Important Rule:

If someone is worried because of a lack of trust, trouble getting to a clinic, fear of needles, or a bad past experience, throwing more data at them won't help. Focus on listening to them and solving their actual problem first.

When You Need an Answer Right Away

Rules for on-the-spot questions

✓ Use trusted cheat-sheets Use an approved quick-reference guide if the answer is part of your normal job.
✓ Pause if you don't know It's okay to stop if you need to double-check details you don't know off the top of your head.
✓ Explain your next step Tell the person exactly what facts you need to look up and how you will do it.
✓ Pass along medical questions If the question is about their personal health condition, refer them to their doctor.
Safety Warning: Stop the conversation if it turns into an argument that gets in the way of giving care. Do not guess or quickly Google an answer while someone is staring at you. If you promise to follow up later, tell them exactly who will contact them, how, and when.
What to say Copy this script
“I don't want to just guess. I need to double-check the exact vaccine, what happens, and where that info came from. Here is what we'll do next.”

The 5-Step Fact-Checking Process

Work through these five steps to figure out the truth behind any complicated rumor.

STEP 1

Write Down the Exact Claim

A vague statement like “vaccines are bad for you” is impossible to check. Break the rumor down into specific pieces so you can actually research it. This should include which shot or ingredient, what exactly is supposed to happen, who is impacted by it, over how long a time, compared to who, and where did the information come from.

Your Clear Question
“The claim is that [product] causes [outcome] in [population] over [time], compared to [comparison]. The person heard this from [source].”
STEP 2

Find the Original Source

Don't trust second-hand info. Trace screenshots, videos, or news headlines back to the place they came from:

Read the full study, not just a catchy news headline.
Look at the full report, not just a cropped picture of a chart.
Read the actual FDA warning label, not a typed-out list from a blog.
Read the real policy, not someone's angry opinion about it.
Rule of Thumb: If you can't find the original source, admit it. Just because something is shared a thousand times online doesn't mean it is true.
STEP 3

Does the Source Actually Match the Claim?

People often take a real scientific study and twist its meaning. Check to see if the study matches the rumor on these points:

Product: Is it the exact same vaccine?
People: Is it the same age group and health type?
Place: Was the study done in the U.S. healthcare system?
Result: Did they actually measure what they claim happened?
Comparison: Did they compare it to the right group of people?
Time: Did they study it for a long enough time?
STEP 4

Understand What the Study Actually Proves

Just because something is called a "study" doesn't mean it proves a fact. Different types of studies are used for different reasons. Click below to see what each type means:

Ask yourself: Did the study prove the vaccine caused the problem, or did it just show that two things happened around the same time?

STEP 5

Look at the Big Picture

One single study doesn't settle a debate. You have to see what the majority of reliable evidence says. Look for:

  • • Major reviews or agreements by top medical experts.
  • • Repeated results: Did other independent scientists find the exact same thing?
  • • Larger studies: Trust studies that looked at thousands of people over a long time.
  • • Official advice: What do major U.S. medical groups (like the CDC) say right now?

Don't Get Fooled by Copies

Ten people sharing the exact same blog post on Facebook is still only one piece of evidence, not ten. Don't count copies as new facts.

Where to Look First

A quick cheat-sheet for finding the best answers to different types of questions.

What you are looking for: Where to start looking:
Current medical advice Major U.S. medical groups (like the CDC, AAP, or ACOG).
Ingredients, warnings, or side effects The FDA's official warning label (called the package insert) for that specific shot.
How different studies fit together Big scientific reviews or government summary reports.
A specific science study The full, original paper (PubMed is a good search engine for this).
Local clinic rules or state forms Your local or state health department.

Red Flags: When to Be Suspicious

Slow down and double-check if a website, video, or article does any of these things.

Claims that just because a health problem happened after a shot, the shot must have caused it.

Uses scary percentages (like "risk increased by 500%!") without giving the actual, real-world numbers.

Doesn't compare the vaccinated group of people to an unvaccinated group.

Treats an online poll, Facebook comments, or opinions as real medical data.

Takes facts about one thing (like adults in Europe) and applies them to something else (like babies in the U.S.).

Cherry-picks one single study and ignores all the other evidence that proves it wrong.

Uses a blurry screenshot of a headline instead of linking to the real study.

Hides who paid for the research or who runs the website.

Relies on studies that were later proven wrong, fake, or taken down by scientists.

Choose Your Next Step

End your review with one clear decision on what to do next.

1

Answer It

The facts are clear, and you can confidently share them.

2

Explain the Grey Area

Explain what we know for sure, and what we don't know yet.

3

Refer to a Doctor

The question is too specific to their health. Their doctor needs to answer it.

4

Follow Up Later

You need more time to look it up. Tell them when you'll get back to them.

5

Walk Away

The conversation is an argument that isn't helping anyone's health.

Team Evidence Log

Keep a list of common rumors to save your team time. If you research a claim once, write it down here so others don't have to do the same work again. Never put patient names or private info in this log.

Date The Rumor Our Simple Answer Sources Action
Today Flu shot causes flu
Seasonal flu shot 		The flu shot uses killed virus and cannot give you the flu. Feeling sore or tired is just your body building protection. CDC, FDA insert Example