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FACT BRIEF

Did UNICEF and several British agencies endorse an online graphic that includes misinformation about masks?

By Christiana Dillard
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NO

UNICEF and five other organizations whose logos were included in a graphic questioning the safety of child mask use told Lead Stories they did not co-sign or support the inaccurate graphic.

Najwa Mekki, global media chief for UNICEF, told Lead Stories that the graphic's use of UNICEF's logo was "unauthorized" and "does not at all conform with UNICEF's position on masks." UNICEF's COVID-19 mask tips comport with World Health Organization guidance that children over five can wear masks when public health measures call for masking.

A spokesperson for another organization whose logo appears on the graphic — Britain's National Institute for Health Research — told Lead Stories, "The NIHR had no involvement in the production of this leaflet, and does not endorse or support it in any way."

The Centers for Disease Control recommends the use of masks for children ages two and up in public schools.

See a full discussion of this at Lead Stories
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
UNICEF COVID-19 and masks: Tips for families
Centers for Disease Control Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in K-12 Schools
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Lead Stories
Lead Stories is a fact checking and debunking website at the intersection of big data and journalism that launched in 2015. It scouts for trending stories, images, videos and posts that contain false information in order to fact check them as quickly as possible. It actively monitors the fake-news ecosystem and doesn’t wait for reader tips or reports before getting started on a story.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.