Doctored Military Times news headlines spread misinformation about COVID-19 vaccine

A screenshot of what looks like a Military Times news headline warning of a COVID-19 vaccine risk prevalent among members of the U.S. Navy is being shared on social media, but it’s fake. 

"Naval medical study finds serious side effects to Covid-19 vaccines," the "breaking news" headline says. 

A caption of a photo in the screenshot explains: "A study conducted at Naval Medical Center Coronado found that 60% of sailors who have been fully vaccinated with 2-shot series vaccines are now at risk for heart disease."

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Mike Gruss, editor in chief of Sightline Media, the parent company of publications including Military Times and Defense News, told us that they didn’t run this story or caption, or another fake headline circulating online in a screenshot that says "Results of Covid-19 vaccine side effect study to be reviewed by Space Force medical research team." 

"Our publications have increasingly been the subject of disinformation and misinformation efforts," Gruss said, including about vaccination in the military." 

He pointed us to a story in Defense News that a reporter wrote in January about a fake article about Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. 

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stated on October 28, 2024 in in social media posts

"Nicki Minaj just endorsed Donald Trump for President.”

"Complete with my byline," reporter Joe Gould wrote, "but instead of my work, it was a cocktail of lies and paranoia." 

The bylines in the fake images of Military Times stories belong to real reporters, but the letters show signs of having been doctored. The spacing and format are unusual and some characters are in a different color. 

We also found no evidence that the Naval Branch Health Clinic serving active-duty service members assigned to Naval Base Coronado published a study that found the vaccine risks described in the fake news caption. 

Some real COVID-19 vaccine headlines published on Military Times? 

"Potential military vaccine mandate brings distrust, support"

"Service leaders have a month to come up with a plan to vaccinate all troops against COVID-19" 

"The Navy is the service most vaccinated against COVID-19. The Marine Corps is the least"

We rate these posts False.