Story at a glance
- One-fifth of respondents believe it is “definitely true” or “probably true” that COVID-19 vaccinations contain government-issued microchips.
- The survey, which polled 1,500 Americans ages 18 and over, was conducted by The Economist/YouGov and published this week.
- The findings are shedding light on vaccine misinformation in the United States as government officials and medical professionals work to combat it.
One-fifth of polled adults believe it is “definitely true” or “probably true” that COVID-19 vaccinations contain government-issued microchips, according to a new survey.
The survey, conducted by The Economist/YouGov and published this week, asked 1,500 Americans ages 18 and over if “the U.S. government is using the COVID-19 vaccine to microchip the population.” Five percent of respondents said the statement was “definitely true,” while 15 percent said the statement was “probably true.”
When broken down along party lines, the survey found that 32 percent of Republicans said it was “definitely” or “probably” true, while 14 percent of Democrats said it was “definitely” or “probably” true. Those without college degrees were also more likely to believe the microchip conspiracy, compared to those who have one.
The findings are shedding light on vaccine misinformation in the U.S. as government officials and medical professionals work to convince more people to get vaccinated.
On Sunday, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy criticized social media companies for not doing enough to curb vaccine misinformation on their platforms.
“The reality is that misinformation is still spreading like wildfire in our country aided and abetted by technology platforms,” Murthy said on “Fox News Sunday.”
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This sentiment echoed comments by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky.
“There is a message that is crystal clear: This is becoming a pandemic of the unvaccinated,” Walensky said Friday. “We are seeing outbreaks of cases in parts of the country that have low vaccination coverage because unvaccinated people are at risk.”
The CDC reports that shows that less than 60 percent of U.S. adults are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.
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Published on Jul 19,2021