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Anthropologist Heidi Larson uses the Vaccine Confidence project to explore the evolution of confidence in vaccines around the world. Now she sounds the alarm: in a commentary for the scientific journal Nature, Larson said in mid-October that the next big outbreak would break out, not because the drug was too poorly prepared, but because information misinformation on social media would have significantly reduced confidence in vaccines.
Danger to health
In an interview with Technology Review, Larson clarifies their badessments. "We have more than 47,000 cases of measles in Europe this year, more than double the number in Africa," Larson said. "So we are not talking about poor education or lack of vaccines, but fear of vaccines." The magnitude of this fear is to a large extent "fueled by the formation of groups of like-minded people and polarization" in social media.
"I think mainstream social media should not just be careful about blocking politically extreme, illegal or offensive publications," Larson said. "They should also set up teams to deal with harmful and inappropriate health information: for example, if an infected person is infected with dozens of girls who died from the HPV vaccine, it is clear that he / she is not infected. There is not a single confirmed death in this context. "
It's not about suppressing individual opinions, Larson said. "Many young parents are just asking questions, often critical, and I think it's responsible. But there is dangerous misinformation that can cause serious health problems. The issue is beyond the capacity of ministries of health. It will be time to bring new parties to the table. "
Learn more in the December issue of Technology Review (available in well-stocked newsstands and heise store).
(WST)
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