Pfizer ad doesn’t say COVID-19 vaccines gives kids superpowers

"PURE EVIL," says a Nov. 3 blog headline about COVID-19 vaccines for children. "Disturbing Pfizer ad tells kids they’ll get superpowers from COVID jab." 

The post, on Gateway Pundit, includes the ad. 

Only the video doesn’t say what the headline claims. 

This post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)

"Getting ready to fight COVID," says a boy at the beginning of the spot wearing an eye mask and standing next to a girl wearing a cape. Pfizer posted it on YouTube on Nov. 1. 

Featured Fact-check

Threads posts

stated on October 23, 2024 in a Threads post

Kamala Harris’ statements about Trump invoking Adolf Hitler were based on a “debunked hoax from The Atlantic.”

"All of us want to be superheroes," says a child narrating as other children can be seen dressed up in superhero accessories, "and the most important heroes are those that help others."

"This year thousands of kids like us, around the world, joined the COVID-19 vaccine trial, and when they did, they became our superheroes," the narrator continues. Then a series of children appear to thank "all the kids who volunteered" for "sharing your superpowers of" things like "courage, "trying new things," "helping not just yourself but many other kids," and "bravery." 

In nearly a minute and a half, no one makes the claim that the vaccine gives children superpowers. And the context in which superpowers are mentioned, it’s clear they’re not referring to, say, invisibility or flying. The headline makes a different case, and using language like "disturbing" and "pure evil," leaves readers with the incorrect impression that the company is dangling the false promise of movie superhero powers to trick children into getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

That’s incorrect. We rate this headline False.