Biden administration spent $267 million on ‘misinformation’ projects to battle vaccine skepticism

More than 10 federal agencies under the Biden administration were allocated funding for research and projects on misinformation, spending records show.

According to federal figures obtained by Open the Books, the Biden administration spread hundreds of millions of dollars throughout federal agencies to tackle “misinformation.”

With a total of $273,860,723 spent since 2017, just $6.7 million in federal funding was provided under the Trump administration, with $267 million falling under Biden’s years.

The report revealed that HHS received the bulk of the funding to stop the spread of “health misinformation.”

HHS defines “misinformation” as information that is “false, inaccurate, or misleading according to the best available evidence at the time.”

The federal department has claimed that misinformation spreads easily on social media, as well as on “online retail sites” and “search engines.”

HHS further declared that building a “healthier information environment” is just as important clean air and water.

“Health misinformation has led people to decline vaccines, reject public health measures, and use unproven treatments.”

A breakdown of the spending showed that HHS received well over $185 million over this time period, which included money to combat what it saw as COVID-19 misinformation.

This resulted in a plethora of propaganda materials, including the following from the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General:

During the pandemic, health misinformation has led people to decline vaccines, reject public health measures, and use unproven treatments. Health misinformation has also led to harassment and violence against health workers, airline staff, and other frontline workers tasked with communicating evolving public health measures.

In total, $127 million was directly related to fighting COVID “misinformation.” The most typical ways were through public programs to meant to limit misinformation through on-the-ground advocacy, or studies and conferences explaining how misinformation is spread.

A whopping $80 million was awarded to HHS and the CDC to partner with “community-based organizations” to “increase vaccination coverage” across different racial and ethnic populations who are allegedly “experiencing disparities.”

With a “health equity focus,” the program has the stated goal of increasing “access and acceptance of influenza and COVID-19 vaccines among adults in racial and/or ethnic populations.”

The project does not end until April 2026.

Other projects focused on alleged misinformation related to HIV, the HPV vaccine, and opioids.

One obscure grant included over $230,000 to “educate consumers about the sustainable management of Bering Sea crab fisheries.”

“[The project] will combat misinformation that negatively impacts public perception of crabbing and the commercial fishing industry.”

Other federal agencies receiving misinformation funding included the National Science Foundation ($65.5 million), the State Department ($12.6 million), and the Department of Defense ($2.9 million).

Other departments including the Institute of Museum & Library Services, the Department of Justice, Department of Commerce, Department of Agriculture, and Department of the Interior received funding ranging from $200,000 to $2,000,000.

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