In the Journals: The Biggest Pandemic Risk? Viral Misinformation
Published on in Vaccine Update for Healthcare Providers
Published on in Vaccine Update for Healthcare Providers
In October 2018, Heidi Larson, a professor of anthropology, risk and decision science at the London School of Hygiene, published her personal view on the spreading fear of vaccines (Larson H. The Biggest Pandemic Risk? Viral Misinformation. Nature. 2018 Oct;562(7727):309.).
Larson predicted that the next major outbreak caused by an infectious disease wouldn’t be due to a lack of vaccines or available technologies — as was the case for the 1918 influenza pandemic. Rather, it would be due to “emotional contagion,” that would be “digitally embedded,” and “erode trust in vaccines so much as to render them moot.”
Larson argues that misinformation can be grouped into four separate categories:
Larson concludes that we have to get better at confronting these various groups. And that while providing the best information is important, strategies that include listening and engagement are also critical.
Contributed by: Paul A. Offit, MD
Categories: Vaccine Update November 2018, In the Journals
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