10 COVID-19 vaccine claims we've investigated during Trump's 2nd term

Conspiracy theories around the vaccine have continued to spread with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic, helming Trump's HHS. Published Aug. 22, 2026 Their use across the globe has proven COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, but the vaccines have continued to be the frequent targets of misinformation for years. With Robert F. Kennedy Jr., well-known for holding anti-vaccine beliefs for decades, leading U.S. President Donald Trump's Department of Health and Human Services, misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine has continued to spread — sometimes by public officials including Kennedy himself. Since the start of Trump's second term, we've dug into misinformation about COVID-19 vaccine side effects, investigated claims about the administration's COVID-19 vaccine policy and researched rumors asserting that anti-vaccine U.S. senators received the COVID-19 vaccine despite their public opposition to it. Read our fact-checks and investigations of those topics and more in our collection of COVID-19 vaccine claims we've covered during Trump's second term: Sources "COVID-19 (Coronavirus)." Who.Int, 2026, https://www.who.int/teams/immunization-vaccines-and-biologicals/diseases/covid-19-(corona-virus). Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.Fuller, Deborah. "How RFK Jr.'S Misguided Science on mRNA Vaccines Is Shaping Policy − a Vaccine Expert Examines the False Claims." The Conversation, 3 Sept. 2025, https://theconversation.com/how-rfk-jr-s-misguided-science-on-mrna-vaccines-is-shaping-policy-a-vaccine-expert-examines-the-false-claims-263027. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.Haelle, Tara. "What to Know About Robert F. Kennedy Jr's Anti-Vaccine Advocacy." Association of Health Care Journalists, 6 Dec. 2024, https://healthjournalism.org/blog/2024/12/what-to-know-about-robert-f-kennedy-jrs-anti-vaccine-advocacy/. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.Loe, Megan. "Unpacking Rumor Trump and RFK Jr. Plan to Ban COVID-19 Vaccine." Snopes, Snopes.com, 26 Aug. 2025, https://www.snopes.com/news/2025/08/26/trump-rfk-covid-vaccine-ban/. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.PerryCook, Taija. "Did Chef Joe Gera Expose Rand Paul Lied About Not Getting COVID-19 Vaccine?" Snopes, Snopes.com, 4 Aug. 2026, https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/joe-gera-chef-rand-paul-covid-19/. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.Rascouët-Paz, Anna. "Pfizer Didn't Say Hantavirus Is Side Effect of Its COVID-19 Vaccine, Contrary to Online Claims." Snopes, Snopes.com, 8 May 2026, https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/hantavirus-covid-vaccine-side-effects/. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026. By Emery Winter Emery Winter is based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and previously worked for TEGNA'S VERIFY national fact-checking team. They enjoy sports and video games. Article Tags