Debunking the Anti-Vaxxer Narrative

With Trump out of the White House and President Biden sworn in, far-right extremists have pivoted from their “Stop the Steal” messaging to take aim at the COVID vaccine. Joining ranks with the anti-vaxxer movement, far-right extremists are weaponizing public concern over the vaccine to undermine the government’s efforts to help end the pandemic and save lives.

The lack of leadership from the White House, botched messaging on the pandemic beginning in March 2020, and access to social media, created a breeding ground for a slow drip campaign allowing anti-vaxxers to sow doubt about COVID vaccines in advance. Lies exploited confusion over public health messaging, mask wearing, and overall vaccine safety. These lies about COVID-19 were left unchecked by social media platforms and allowed to spread.

Far-right extremists linked to QAnon, the Proud Boys, and the Boogaloo movement found an opportunity to spread hate, xenophobia, and racism by partnering with the anti-vaxxer movement. This unlikely partnership created one of the broadest extremist coalitions America has seen in recent times. Leading the coalition are mostly women who are leveraging their social networks to sow distrust in the COVID vaccine and spread disinformation.

The content shared on social media and in chat apps, such as Telegram, regarding the vaccine has gone from…