EMBAR

Author:
Dr Manoranjan Tripathy
Asst Professor, Dev Sanskriti Vishavidyalaya,Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India

Published Date: 24-Aug, 2024

Keywords: COVID-19, Misinformation, Vaccine Rollout, Public Health, Vaccine Hesitancy

Abstract:
Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has emerged as one of the most critical global health challenges in recent times, with the swift creation and distribution of vaccines being vital in reducing its impact. Nevertheless, the success of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout was significantly compromised by the widespread dissemination of misinformation, creating a major obstacle to achieving herd immunity and safeguarding public health. This research investigates the effects of misinformation on public health during the COVID-19 vaccine distribution, identifying the various types and sources of false information, the methods by which it spreads, and its impact on vaccine uptake and trust in health authorities. By examining historical instances of misinformation in public health, this study places the current challenges in context and draws comparisons to previous vaccination efforts. Additionally, the research assesses the success of different strategies used to combat misinformation, including public education campaigns, social media interventions, and community involvement. The results underscore the necessity of a comprehensive approach to tackle misinformation, utilizing advanced technological solutions, enhanced communication methods, and global cooperation. The insights from this study are intended to guide future public health efforts and strengthen resistance to misinformation during health crises.

References:

Germani F, Pattison AB, Reinfelde M. WHO and digital agencies: how to effectively tackle COVID-19 misinformation online. BMJ Global Health. 2022 Aug 1;7(8):e009483.

Boylston A. The origins of inoculation. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. 2012 Jul;105(7):309-13.

Fitzpatrick M. The Anti-Vaccination Movement in England, 1853–1907.

Carapetis JR. The Cutter Incident: How America's First Polio Vaccine Led to the Growing Vaccine Crisis. BMJ. 2006 Mar 23;332(7543):733.

Smith MJ, Ellenberg SS, Bell LM, Rubin DM. Media coverage of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine and autism controversy and its relationship to MMR immunization rates in the United States. Pediatrics. 2008 Apr 1;121(4):e836-43.

Pennycook G, Epstein Z, Mosleh M, Arechar AA, Eckles D, Rand DG. Shifting attention to accuracy can reduce misinformation online. Nature. 2021 Apr 22;592(7855):590-5.

Bridgman A, Merkley E, Loewen PJ, Owen T, Ruths D, Teichmann L, Zhilin O. The causes and consequences of COVID-19 misperceptions: Understanding the role of news and social media. Harvard Kennedy School Misinformation Review. 2020 Jun 18;1(3).

PEARSON A. Math Matters. ASHRAE Journal. 2022 Dec 1;64(12).

Gallotti R, Valle F, Castaldo N, Sacco P, De Domenico M. Assessing the risks of ‘infodemics’ in response to COVID-19 epidemics. Nature human behaviour. 2020 Dec;4(12):1285-93.

Cinelli M, Quattrociocchi W, Galeazzi A, Valensise CM, Brugnoli E, Schmidt AL, Zola P, Zollo F, Scala A. The COVID-19 social media infodemic. Scientific reports. 2020 Oct 6;10(1):1-0.

Swire-Thompson B, Lazer D. Public health and online misinformation: challenges and recommendations. Annu Rev Public Health. 2020 Apr 2;41(1):433-51.

Van der Linden S, Dixon G, Clarke C, Cook J. Inoculating against COVID-19 vaccine misinformation. EClinicalMedicine. 2021 Mar 1;33.

Enders AM, Uscinski JE, Seelig MI, Klofstad CA, Wuchty S, Funchion JR, Murthi MN, Premaratne K, Stoler J. The relationship between social media use and beliefs in conspiracy theories and misinformation. Political behavior. 2021 Jul 7:1-24.

Zaman K, Mishra SK, Mohanty A, Padhi BK, Sah R. Measles outbreak in American Samoa: Alarm to strengthen vaccination post COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Surgery Open. 2023 Jun 1;55:100624.

Loomba S, De Figueiredo A, Piatek SJ, De Graaf K, Larson HJ. Measuring the impact of COVID-19 vaccine misinformation on vaccination intent in the UK and USA. Nature human behaviour. 2021 Mar;5(3):337-48.

Okita T, Enzo A, Kadooka Y, Tanaka M, Asai A. The controversy on HPV vaccination in Japan: Criticism of the ethical validity of the arguments for the suspension of the proactive recommendation. Health Policy. 2020 Feb 1;124(2):199-204.

Unicef. COVAX: ensuring global equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. UNICEF, available at< https://www. unicef. org/supply/covax-ensuring-global-equitable-accesscovid-19-vaccines>(last visited Sept. 15, 2022). 2021.

Polack FP, Thomas SJ, Kitchin N, Absalon J, Gurtman A, Lockhart S, Perez JL, Pérez Marc G, Moreira ED, Zerbini C, Bailey R. Safety and efficacy of the BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 vaccine. New England journal of medicine. 2020 Dec 31;383(27):2603-15.

Islam MS, Sarkar T, Khan SH, Kamal AH, Hasan SM, Kabir A, Yeasmin D, Islam MA, Chowdhury KI, Anwar KS, Chughtai AA. COVID-19–related infodemic and its impact on public health: A global social media analysis. The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene. 2020 Oct;103(4):1621.

Caceres MM, Sosa JP, Lawrence JA, Sestacovschi C, Tidd-Johnson A, Rasool MH, Gadamidi VK, Ozair S, Pandav K, Cuevas-Lou C, Parrish M. The impact of misinformation on the COVID-19 pandemic. AIMS Public Health. 2022;9(2):262

Allington D, Duffy B, Wessely S, Dhavan N, Rubin J. Health-protective behaviour, social media usage and conspiracy belief during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Psychological medicine. 2021 Jul;51(10):1763-9.

Freeman D, Waite F, Rosebrock L, Petit A, Causier C, East A, Jenner L, Teale AL, Carr L, Mulhall S, Bold E. Coronavirus conspiracy beliefs, mistrust, and compliance with government guidelines in England. Psychological medicine. 2022 Jan;52(2):251-63.

Liu J, Regulagedda RM. Social Network Analysis of Misinformation Spreading and Science Communication during COVID‐19. Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology. 2023 Oct;60(1):1059-61.

Cleve M. What the lightning-fast quest for Covid vaccines means for other diseases. Nature. 2021 Jan 7;589:16-8.

Cinelli M, Quattrociocchi W, Galeazzi A, Valensise CM, Brugnoli E, Schmidt AL, Zola P, Zollo F, Scala A. The COVID-19 social media infodemic. Scientific reports. 2020 Oct 6;10(1):1-0.

Ahmed S, Rasul ME. Social media news use and COVID-19 misinformation engagement: survey study. Journal of Medical Internet Research. 2022 Sep 20;24(9):e38944.