I traced Instagram paid-partnership labels, #ad captions, reposts and archived advertising records to identify 57 accounts connected to apparently sponsored campaign content<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe recovered posts reveal what the government-funded vaccine push looked like inside people\u2019s feeds:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nA technology creator\u00a0told followers<\/a>:\u00a0\u201cDo your part, step up, get vaccinated and vaccinate your children!!\u201d<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\nA native paid partnership\u00a0promoted vaccination during pregnancy<\/a>\u00a0and claimed babies born to vaccinated mothers faced a lower risk of COVID hospitalization.<\/li>\n\n\n\nAnother paid partnership\u00a0highlighted a vaccinated six-year-old<\/a>\u00a0and said the family acted partly to protect a two-year-old.<\/li>\n\n\n\nAn official campaign repost carrying #ad\u00a0invoked pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding<\/a>\u00a0while calling vaccination the \u201cBEST decision\u201d for a mother and her daughter.<\/li>\n\n\n\nA campaign-linked contest\u00a0offered a $100 Amazon gift card<\/a>\u00a0for public vaccination stories and recruitment into El Beacon\u2019s volunteer network.<\/li>\n\n\n\nAnother official repost carrying #ad\u00a0described the vaccines as \u201ccompletely safe\u201d<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nThe thesis is not complicated: federal health money supported a project that paid private social-media personalities to convince people to take COVID vaccines.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nBut behind those posts was an operation built to monitor the vaccine debate and update its messaging in response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
THE SYSTEM BEHIND THE PAID POSTS<\/h5>\n\n\n\n From September 2021 through April 2022, Public Good Projects and Hispanic Communications Network ran English- and Spanish-language searches containing hundreds of vaccine-related keywords, hashtags and phrases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The system captured 212.7 million English-language messages<\/strong> and 35 million Spanish-language messages<\/strong> from social-media platforms, news sites, video sites and other public sources\u2014247.7 million in total<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nStaff reviewed leading results every week for claims they classified as trending or emerging misinformation. The report says the findings \u201cdirectly informed\u201d<\/strong> prompts telling influencers \u201cwhat to include in their posts\u2019 captions.\u201d<\/strong> Those prompts were updated throughout the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\nPublic Good Projects also monitored comments for misinformation and supplied influencers with counter-messaging or resources. The same monitoring findings produced weekly rebuttal guidance for Hispanic-serving community organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 496 influencers produced 1,000 posts<\/strong>\u2014524 Instagram feed posts, 468 Instagram Stories and eight posts across Facebook, TikTok and Twitter. The campaign reported a potential reach of 37.2 million people<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe influencer network was only one part of the operation. The project also recruited 1,034 digital volunteers<\/strong> and two celebrities<\/strong>, produced 206 \u201cmisinformation insights\u201d and 206 rebuttal talking points, and distributed messaging through newsletters, social-media materials, community trainings, Spanish-language radio announcements and op-eds.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWHO PAID FOR IT<\/h5>\n\n\n\n The report states that the project was \u201c100 percent funded by CDC\/HHS.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nFederal records<\/a> place the work under a broader $25.66 million fiscal-year 2021 award<\/strong> from the CDC\u2019s immunization center to the CDC Foundation. That amount funded the wider Partnering for Vaccine Equity program\u2014not El Beacon alone\u2014and the records do not reveal how much was spent on the influencers.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe CDC Foundation worked with Public Good Projects, Hispanic Communications Network and World Voices Media. Public Good Projects created El Beacon and recruited the paid influencer network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The recovered ads generally disclosed a relationship with El Beacon through #ad, paid-partnership labels or campaign branding. El Beacon separately recruited unpaid volunteers and reposted some vaccine testimonials without advertising labels, while the 57 accounts identified here were tied to posts carrying #ad, a \u201cpaid partnership\u201d label or equivalent advertising metadata\u2014strong evidence that the promotions involved money or another benefit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But none of the sponsorship disclosures in the recovered 57-account sample identified CDC, HHS or the CDC Foundation as the ultimate source of the funding.<\/strong> Followers were shown El Beacon. They were not shown the federal government and monitoring system behind it.<\/p>\n\n\n\nTHE RECEIPTS<\/h5>\n\n\n\n Not an abstract strategy. These are the recovered posts.<\/em> The examples below show what the federally funded campaign published or amplified. The unedited screenshots accompanying this article appear in the same order.<\/p>\n\n\n\nCHILDREN<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\u201cVaccinate your children!!\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0An official El Beacon repost preserving #ad quoted\u00a0Fabio Dias<\/a>: \u201cDo your part, step up, get vaccinated and vaccinate your children!!\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\nA six-year-old\u2014and a two-year-old.<\/strong>\u00a0In a native paid partnership,\u00a0Angelica Castaneda<\/a>\u00a0said her six-year-old was among the first vaccinated after becoming eligible and that the family acted partly to protect their two-year-old. \u201cBecome a superhero.\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0An official repost preserving #ad from\u00a0Ana Cruz<\/a>\u00a0centered on a boy with delicate lungs and his protective older brother, ending, in translation: \u201cFor the most vulnerable, for those you love most, GET VACCINATED and become a superhero too.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nPREGNANCY AND BREASTFEEDING<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\nThe infant-hospitalization appeal.<\/strong>\u00a0In a native paid partnership,\u00a0Mariza D\u00e1vila-Madwid<\/a>\u00a0said babies born to vaccinated mothers faced a lower risk of COVID-19 hospitalization and that she was vaccinated while pregnant to protect her daughter. The \u201cBEST decision.\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0In an official repost preserving #ad,\u00a0Paola V. Desideri<\/a>\u00a0invoked pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding while calling vaccination the \u201cBEST decision\u201d for herself and her daughter.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nGIFT CARDS FOR PUBLIC VACCINATION STORIES<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n$100.<\/strong>\u00a0A native paid-partnership post from\u00a0Erica Marques<\/a>\u00a0promoted a $100 Amazon-card contest requiring entrants to explain why they were vaccinated or boosted, follow El Beacon and join its volunteer network. $200.<\/strong>\u00a0El Beacon\u2019s own account\u00a0offered a $200 Amazon gift card<\/a>\u00a0and bonus entries for publicly explaining a vaccination decision and sharing the campaign. These were incentives for testimonial content and recruitment\u2014not payments simply for receiving a shot.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nTHE ANTI-\u201cMISINFORMATION\u201d CAMPAIGN\u2019S OWN CLAIMS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\u201c678%.\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0An official repost preserving #ad from\u00a0Juliana Separavic<\/a>\u00a0said \u201cover 678% of Americans over the age of 5 are fully vaccinated.\u201d The impossible number appears to be a missing decimal point. \u201cCompletely safe.\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0An official repost preserving #ad from\u00a0Thayna Beddes<\/a>\u00a0called vaccination \u201cthe most effective way to stop contamination and the emergence of new variants\u201d and described the vaccines as \u201ccompletely safe.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nINTO NON-HEALTH FEEDS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\u201cNON-BOOKISH CONTENT.\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0Book creator\u00a0Carmen Alvarez<\/a>\u00a0opened her native paid partnership with that warning before introducing vaccine messaging to her literary audience. Reality television to public health.<\/strong>\u00a0Amazing Race<\/em>\u00a0winner\u00a0Will Jardell<\/a>\u00a0posted a January 2022 vaccine testimonial that El Beacon republished with #ad. A\u00a0 CDC-funded PHI fellowship program<\/a>\u00a0featured Jardell in July 2022; records do not establish when his fellowship began or coordination between the programs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nThe 57 accounts identified<\/h5>\n\n\n\n Fifty-five links below lead to recovered Instagram posts. Kristina Guerrero\u2019s original post is unavailable and survives only in an indexed advertising record; AFP independently preserved and verified Lisa Marie Borjas\u2019s campaign post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nAkinyi Ragwar (@fitsonme)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Fashion blogger and personal-style creator.<\/li>\n\n\n\nAlejandra Arce (@alearce)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Marketing professional and yoga, technology and lifestyle creator.<\/li>\n\n\n\n@alinefreemann (now @usa.homemade)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Lifestyle and home-content creator.<\/li>\n\n\n\nAmelia Valentin (@amelialadomiriquena)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Content creator, singer, editor and on-air host.<\/li>\n\n\n\nAna Cruz (@rollosdemujeres)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Bilingual journalist and founder\/editor of\u00a0Rollos de Mujeres<\/em>.<\/li>\n\n\n\nAna Molina (@anaxmolina)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Latina lifestyle and social-media creator.<\/li>\n\n\n\nAna Victoria Perez (@anavictoriaperez_)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Fashion, shopping and lifestyle creator.<\/li>\n\n\n\nAndreia Leifer (@andreialeifer)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Fashion, beauty and lifestyle creator.<\/li>\n\n\n\nAngelica Castaneda (@angelicacastaneda_)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Family, travel and lifestyle blogger.<\/li>\n\n\n\nAraceli Bindrup (@arybindrup)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Family and lifestyle creator covering fashion, home d\u00e9cor and travel.<\/li>\n\n\n\nAwilda (@iam.awilda)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 User-generated-content and lifestyle creator; no verified surname was recovered.<\/li>\n\n\n\nBianca Fortney (@biancafortney)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Fashion, beauty, lifestyle and user-generated-content creator.<\/li>\n\n\n\nCarla Riojas (@carlariojasmusic)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Singer-songwriter and recording artist.<\/li>\n\n\n\nCarmen Alvarez (@tomesandtextiles)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Book creator focused on Latino literature and a library advocate.<\/li>\n\n\n\nCarolina Abdala (@carolinaabdala)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Beauty, home-d\u00e9cor, family and lifestyle creator.<\/li>\n\n\n\nCynthia Pratt (@superpratt)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Arizona-based lifestyle and travel creator.<\/li>\n\n\n\nDalia Patron (@msdaliapatron)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Fashion, beauty, wellness and user-generated-content creator.<\/li>\n\n\n\nDani Lynch (@itsmedanilynch)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Utah-based social-media creator; no narrower specialty was reliably verified.<\/li>\n\n\n\nDavid Tutera (@davidtutera)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Celebrity wedding planner, designer and television host.<\/li>\n\n\n\nEdna Freeman (@ednacfreeman)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Actress, author and motherhood\/lifestyle creator.<\/li>\n\n\n\nErica Marques (@ericaamarks)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Lifestyle, motherhood and sustainability creator.<\/li>\n\n\n\nFabio Dias (@kinzaum)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Technology-unboxing and product-review creator.<\/li>\n\n\n\nFridda Fern\u00e1ndez (@cherry.fr)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 New York-based Latina lifestyle creator and communications professional.<\/li>\n\n\n\nGenesis Lagos (@genesis_lagos)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Disney, family and travel creator.<\/li>\n\n\n\nGuadalupe Ochoa (@fellowfashionista)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Fashion blogger and creator behind Fellow Fashionista.<\/li>\n\n\n\nGustavo Finol (@gusfinol)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Fashion producer, public-relations professional and actor.<\/li>\n\n\n\nJennifer Lee \/ Prickly Blonde (@pricklyblonde)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Secondhand, thrift and sustainable-fashion creator.<\/li>\n\n\n\nJessica Moore (@missmoorestyle)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Budget-fashion, beauty and travel blogger behind Miss Moore Style.<\/li>\n\n\n\nJuliana Separavic (@juseparavic)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Lifestyle and consumer-product brand-content creator; no narrower niche was independently established.<\/li>\n\n\n\nJulie Hauptmann \/ Jules Cali (@jules_cali)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Luxury-fashion, beauty and travel blogger.<\/li>\n\n\n\nKarina Abdul (@karinaabdulm)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Fashion designer and entrepreneur behind KABDUL, with lifestyle and modeling content.<\/li>\n\n\n\nKelsey Kaplan (@kelseykaplanfashion)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 San Francisco fashion blogger focused on petite styling, with motherhood content.<\/li>\n\n\n\nKristina Guerrero (@kristinaguerrero)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Indexed campaign-ad record; original post unavailable<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Former\u00a0E! News<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Inside Edition<\/em>\u00a0correspondent and television host.<\/li>\n\n\n\nLesley Argotti (@lesleyargotti)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Bilingual fashion-and-lifestyle creator and visual artist.<\/li>\n\n\n\nLisa Marie Borjas<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post (Facebook)<\/a>\u00a0( AFP verification<\/a>) \u2014 Venezuelan fashion stylist and beauty creator; her Instagram handle remains unconfirmed.<\/li>\n\n\n\nLisette M. (@lisettem26)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Small lifestyle creator; her surname and a narrower niche remain unverified.<\/li>\n\n\n\nLucas Labrador (@lucaslabradordancer)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Professional ballet dancer, dance entrepreneur and founder of Ballet World Connected.<\/li>\n\n\n\nMarcelli Rodrigues (@canalmarcellirodrigues)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Personal trainer and beauty, fitness and lifestyle creator.<\/li>\n\n\n\nMariza D\u00e1vila-Madwid (@sra.davilamadwid)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Connecticut high-school Spanish teacher and teacher\/lifestyle creator.<\/li>\n\n\n\nMelany Cort\u00e1zar (@melanycmakeup)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Professional makeup artist, beauty creator and makeup-academy founder.<\/li>\n\n\n\nMeliza Vasquez (@melizavasquezz)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Houston photographer and lifestyle\/fitness creator.<\/li>\n\n\n\nMiss Karenni \/ Karen Asencio Viera (@asencioviera)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Fashion-and-lifestyle creator.<\/li>\n\n\n\nNoelia Alonso Duque (@wendynoe)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Model and user-generated-content creator.<\/li>\n\n\n\nNubia Figueroa (@nubiafiguerooa)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Beauty, fashion and skincare creator and photographer.<\/li>\n\n\n\nOmar Genao (@omargenao)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 E-commerce developer, designer and digital-marketing consultant.<\/li>\n\n\n\nPaola V. Desideri (@paolavdesideri)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Fashion, beauty and family\/lifestyle creator.<\/li>\n\n\n\nParth Patel (@_parthenaan)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Engineer and men\u2019s-style, lifestyle and travel creator.<\/li>\n\n\n\nPerla Aguilar (@iamperlita)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Campaign post<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Fashion, beauty and lifestyle blogger.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
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