AP Fact Check confirms that the CDC claims it changed its definition of 'vaccine' to 'increase transparency'

When people on social media started claiming that the CDC had changed its definition of “vaccine” because the COVID-19 vaccine didn’t actually prevent you from catching COVID-19, AP Fact Check got to work — by asking the CDC why it changed its definition of vaccine and reprinting its statement.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it changed language in its definition of vaccination to prevent misinterpretations and increase transparency. Social media users falsely claimed it was because COVID-19 vaccines are ineffective. https://t.co/ftaJGLTIGO

— AP Fact Check (@APFactCheck) February 9, 2022

Sophia Tulp writes:

The CDC told the AP in a statement that it made the language shifts to add detail and increase transparency.

“While there have been slight changes in wording over time to the definition of ‘vaccine’ on CDC’s website, those haven’t impacted the overall definition,” the statement said, noting that the previous definition “could be interpreted to mean that vaccines were 100% effective, which has never been the case for any vaccine.”

“The changes were made to prevent potential misinterpretations, and did not alter the overall definition, according to the agency,” Tulp adds.

https://twitter.com/hubeihammer/status/1491541581907869704

So after the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, the CDC changed the definition because the old definition could be interpreted as saying that vaccines are 100 percent effective. Got it.

Truth to power! Comfort the afflicted, afflict the comfortable! LULZ

— 2023 sucks (@AnthonyBialy) February 10, 2022

It’s like you people in the media never get out of your dc bubble to ask Americans what they really think.

— SeldenGADawgs (@SeldenGADawgs) February 10, 2022

Who on Earth thinks it is okay to retroactively change the definition of a word to match their product? Find the word that does match your product or make a new product? Rewriting the English language is not an acceptable approach to rolling out a product or service.

— Benjamin Elliott (@bfelliott) February 10, 2022

https://twitter.com/Jmillio1000/status/1491771382258180100

https://twitter.com/RisusSardonicu2/status/1491740503641047045

So when something doesn't do what it was supposed to do, just change the definition and say it was never meant to do that. Thank you fact-checkers – now I understand transparency🙃.

— Maggie Mistal (@MaggieMistal) February 10, 2022

Sounds like the definition of fact checker needs to be updated.

— KittensAgainstTheState (@KittensState) February 10, 2022

pic.twitter.com/5INwMr5wDP

— Lance from the Lower St. Croix (@PetersenFarms) February 10, 2022

By using the word vaccine incorrectly this whole time, it has created a divide among the whole nation and the planet by defining the Covid shot as immunity when it was not. Using the wrong word is what has created this chaos and they should be called out for it but they won’t.

— Jerry Belmonte (@jjphoneman) February 10, 2022

It just happened to coincide with the least successful vaccine at giving immunity to hit the market.

— Jones (@Jonesin31) February 10, 2022

If I wanted facts two of the last places I would trust would be the AP and the CDC.

— Getoffthefence.net (@getoffthefence1) February 10, 2022

I fact checked this AP tweet and determined it’s misleading and false.

— Foghorn702 (@rafoghorn702) February 10, 2022

This is why your entire business paradigm is dying.

— TechLibre (@NTechlibre) February 10, 2022

Ratio

— Liberal Leopard (@LiberalLeopard) February 10, 2022

Would the AP Fact Checker allow that the timing was more than a little curious?

Related:

The ADL changes its definition of racism *again,* this time using an ‘interim definition’ as a placeholder https://t.co/z2aAnNtwMk

— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) February 2, 2022