Fox “straight news” show misleads viewers on link between vaccination and COVID-19 hospitalization

Written by Eric Kleefeld

Published

In the latest example of the serial misinformation that comes from Fox News about the COVID-19 pandemic, Fox News contributor Sean Duffy falsely claimed that there isn’t any data on the vaccination status of people being hospitalized for COVID-19.

Duffy made the bizarre complaint on Wednesday morning’s edition of Fox’s “straight news” program America’s Newsroom, saying, “With all the billions of dollars we put into public health, why don't we have the numbers of who is getting hospitalized?” In reality, it has been well documented for months that unvaccinated people are more likely to be hospitalized or die from COVID-19 — and yes, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention keeps track of these numbers.

Neither of the show’s co-anchors corrected Duffy that these facts are readily available — one of the many products of “all the billions of dollars we put into public health,” to which Duffy had referred. Co-anchor Bill Hemmer later concluded the segment by urging viewers to buy a copy of the new book from Duffy and his wife, Fox host Rachel Campos-Duffy, titled All American Christmas.

From the December 15, 2021, edition of Fox News’ America’s Newsroom with Bill Hemmer & Dana Perino

DANA PERINO (CO-ANCHOR): One last quick question, though. Because some of the hospitals are seeing increasing hospitalizations, and I would imagine just from the public health perspective that those leaders are saying we can't allow that to happen. How do you think about that when it comes to all this?

SEAN DUFFY (FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR): Well, here’s what I find confusing, Dana. Shouldn’t we have, you know, specific numbers on who’s been hospitalized, were they vaxxed, were they double-vaxxed, were they triple-vaxxed? Did they have COVID or not have COVID? I think those numbers aren't clear on who’s being hospitalized. And I think if we actually, you know, recorded that data and we're able to say, listen, you know, 95% of people who are being hospitalized are unvaccinated and didn't have covid, that would be a strong message, right?

But if you don't have those numbers, and it’s a guessing game, it begs the question — why, Dana? Why isn’t, with all the billions of dollars we put into public health, why don't we have the numbers of who is getting hospitalized? And have it really clear, and track that.

PERINO: Right.