VOLUME 38
Highlights
Table of Contents
New features from AI companies,like ChatGPT Health and Claude for Healthcare,aim to provide personalized health guidance as OpenAI reports more than 40 million daily users seek health details from its chatbot,but concerns remain about AI providing wrong or perilous health advice,particularly around mental health.
And as the U.S. experiences its highest flu levels in 25 years, a vaccine-strain mismatch may be contributing to claims that flu vaccines are ineffective, despite evidence that vaccines still reduce severe illness and death and protect against other circulating strains.
Study Shows Team-Based Content Moderation Improves Consensus
A common challenge in content moderation of incorrect or harmful information is peopel do not agree on what is true. A December study from the Annenberg School for Communication found that content moderators working in teams reached higher levels of agreement on controversial content moderation decisions compared to working alone. The experiment involved over 600 politically diverse moderators and found that “structured social interaction” strengthened accuracy and agreement in content moderation decisions. The findings come as some major platforms have scaled back content moderation efforts to prioritize free speech and diverse thinking, with Meta ending its third-party fact-checking program in 2025 and X reducing its trust and safety teams. Even before these changes, a 2023 KFF poll found that most adults (69%) said social media companies were not doing enough to limit the spread of false and inaccurate health information.
Flu Vaccine Misconceptions Spread During One of the worst Flu Seasons in Decades
What’s happening?
Misleading claims that flu vaccines are ineffective or weaken the immune system have circulated during the ongoing respiratory virus season, which has seen the highest flu levels in 25 years. The surge in cases is largely driven by a new mutation of the virus, called subclade K, that emerged after the season’s vaccine formulation was finalized in March. Each year, scientists predict what strains to include in the coming season’s flu vaccine, but subclade K only became the dominant strain after those decisions were made, creating a mismatch between the vaccine and the circulating virus.
Where confusion about flu vaccines is emerging
- The vaccine-strain mismatch may be contributing to claims that the vaccine is ineffective. Senator Rand Paul, for example, questioned the vaccine’s effectiveness on a podcast in mid-January, specifically citing the strain mismatch and suggesting that claims about crossover protection are “inflated.” While this season’s vaccine was not specifically designed to target subclade K, evidence from prior influenza seasons shows that flu vaccines can still provide some protection from infection when they are mismatched to the dominant circulating strain. Vaccination also helps to Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) Vaccine Confidence
The KFF conducted polling that revealed varying levels of parental confidence in different vaccines. Generally, parents believe in the importance of core childhood vaccinations, but the flu vaccine lags behind in perceived necessity and safety.
According to KFF data, ten parents view routine immunizations for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) and polio as important for children in their community to get, while a smaller share (56%) said the same for the flu vaccine. Confidence in vaccine safety also differs; at least eight in ten parents express confidence in the safety of MMR and polio vaccines for children, but only 65% feel the same way about flu vaccines.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) efforts to Restore Trust
The U.S. Department of Health and human Services (HHS) has initiated efforts to restore public trust in vaccines, framing recent policy changes as part of this broader strategy.
The specific changes referenced in the original source were related to vaccine requirements for certain federal employees and contractors, which were rescinded in May 2023. The white House announced the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency on May 11, 2023, which also impacted vaccine mandates.
As of January 25,2026,the long-term effects of these changes on public trust remain under evaluation. KFF continues to monitor the situation and assess the impact of evolving federal guidance on vaccine acceptance and broader public health initiatives.
Flu Vaccine Hesitancy: A Deeper Look
Flu vaccine hesitancy is a persistent public health challenge. Lower confidence in the flu vaccine’s effectiveness, coupled with perceptions of milder illness severity, contribute to lower uptake rates.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that flu vaccine effectiveness varies each year, depending on how well the vaccine strains match circulating viruses. For the 2023-2024 flu season,the CDC estimates the vaccine reduced the risk of flu illness by 59% overall. Despite this, misconceptions about the vaccine’s ability to cause the flu remain common.
Ongoing Monitoring and Future Research
Continued monitoring of public attitudes toward vaccines is crucial for informing public health strategies.
KFF’s ongoing research will provide valuable insights into how changes in federal policy and public health messaging influence vaccine confidence and uptake. The CDC also conducts regular surveys and research to track vaccination rates and identify areas for enhancement in vaccine communication and delivery.
