A vaccine for Covid-19 does not yet exist, but that has not stopped people from spreading disinformation about it in advance.
The anti-vaxxers’ movement has been active for years, and a previous article about it by EAVI can be found here. The article stated that the core of this movement relies on conspiracy, cherry-picking information and experts, impossible expectations, and illogical fallacies. Additionally, once someone’s mind is made up, it is nearly impossible to change. The measles outbreaks in Europe and the United States caused by increasing numbers of unvaccinated children is a worrisome foreshadow of what may come if and when a vaccine for Covid-19 is developed.
What makes this instance even more troubling than the measles outbreaks is that Covid-19 itself is already ridden with disinformation concerning its origins, its spread, and the threats posed by its existence. ‘Plandemic’, a conspiracy video promoting misinformation about Covid-19, was viewed over eight million times, and closely mirrors the tactics of the anti-vaxxers. Dr. Mikovits was rarely mentioned prior to April, and has suddenly become the face of the Covid-19 disinformation war. Cherry-picking experts is not only concerning due to its appeal to anti-vaxxers and climate change deniers, it is concerning because it has worked well for them.
Google Search for Judy Mikovits
A study by Dan Kahan at Yale University showed that increased scientific literacy polarized opinions on both sides of the climate change debate, because people used the knowledge to reinforce their existing beliefs. Bringing forth chosen experts such as Dr. Mikovits is a prime example of this tactic, used by climate change deniers and anti-vaxxers alike. This is also the reason that even though science itself has had multiple consensuses – that climate change is being caused by humans, and vaccines do not cause autism – that well-educated adults continue to believe the opposite.
Science has largely been portrayed as a collection of facts, rather than a method, leaving individuals of all walks of life unable to discern factual accuracy. This effect is worsened by repetition, easy-to-process explanations, and the other consequences of social media and peer pressure. Anti-vaxxers’ cases are further strengthened by psychology, causing people to prefer negative consequences caused by inaction (refusing vaccines) than action (getting vaccinated). While much has worked in favor of the efforts of anti-vaxxers, nothing has worked as well as ignoring them.
While public health advocates, scientists, and the government have issued blanket statements that vaccines are safe and effective, anti-vaxxers have strategized campaigns to insular groups, ranging from yoga moms concerned about holistic health to libertarians concerned about government overreach. In Germany, anti-vaxxer efforts are blended with anti-semitism and skepticism of Bill Gates, and in France, a broader distrust of the government. These coalitions help the anti-vaxxer population in Europe, normally a small subset of the population, to expand their reach.
The viral spread of ‘Plandemic’ despite its removal from Youtube and Facebook and multiple fact-checks disproving it demonstrate the importance of media literacy. Media literacy is the ability for people to make informed decisions and critical understanding of the media, and only when this is applied to the individual level will such anti-vaxxer movements lose their momentum.
Related Posts
A vaccine for Covid-19 does not yet exist, but that has not stopped people from spreading disinformation about it in advance.
The anti-vaxxers’ movement has been active for years, and a previous article about it by EAVI can be found here. The article stated that the core of this movement relies on conspiracy, cherry-picking information and experts, impossible expectations, and illogical fallacies. Additionally, once someone’s mind is made up, it is nearly impossible to change. The measles outbreaks in Europe and the United States caused by increasing numbers of unvaccinated children is a worrisome foreshadow of what may come if and when a vaccine for Covid-19 is developed.
What makes this instance even more troubling than the measles outbreaks is that Covid-19 itself is already ridden with disinformation concerning its origins, its spread, and the threats posed by its existence. ‘Plandemic’, a conspiracy video promoting misinformation about Covid-19, was viewed over eight million times, and closely mirrors the tactics of the anti-vaxxers. Dr. Mikovits was rarely mentioned prior to April, and has suddenly become the face of the Covid-19 disinformation war. Cherry-picking experts is not only concerning due to its appeal to anti-vaxxers and climate change deniers, it is concerning because it has worked well for them.
Google Search for Judy Mikovits
A study by Dan Kahan at Yale University showed that increased scientific literacy polarized opinions on both sides of the climate change debate, because people used the knowledge to reinforce their existing beliefs. Bringing forth chosen experts such as Dr. Mikovits is a prime example of this tactic, used by climate change deniers and anti-vaxxers alike. This is also the reason that even though science itself has had multiple consensuses – that climate change is being caused by humans, and vaccines do not cause autism – that well-educated adults continue to believe the opposite.
Science has largely been portrayed as a collection of facts, rather than a method, leaving individuals of all walks of life unable to discern factual accuracy. This effect is worsened by repetition, easy-to-process explanations, and the other consequences of social media and peer pressure. Anti-vaxxers’ cases are further strengthened by psychology, causing people to prefer negative consequences caused by inaction (refusing vaccines) than action (getting vaccinated). While much has worked in favor of the efforts of anti-vaxxers, nothing has worked as well as ignoring them.
While public health advocates, scientists, and the government have issued blanket statements that vaccines are safe and effective, anti-vaxxers have strategized campaigns to insular groups, ranging from yoga moms concerned about holistic health to libertarians concerned about government overreach. In Germany, anti-vaxxer efforts are blended with anti-semitism and skepticism of Bill Gates, and in France, a broader distrust of the government. These coalitions help the anti-vaxxer population in Europe, normally a small subset of the population, to expand their reach.
The viral spread of ‘Plandemic’ despite its removal from Youtube and Facebook and multiple fact-checks disproving it demonstrate the importance of media literacy. Media literacy is the ability for people to make informed decisions and critical understanding of the media, and only when this is applied to the individual level will such anti-vaxxer movements lose their momentum.
Related Posts
A vaccine for Covid-19 does not yet exist, but that has not stopped people from spreading disinformation about it in advance.
The anti-vaxxers’ movement has been active for years, and a previous article about it by EAVI can be found here. The article stated that the core of this movement relies on conspiracy, cherry-picking information and experts, impossible expectations, and illogical fallacies. Additionally, once someone’s mind is made up, it is nearly impossible to change. The measles outbreaks in Europe and the United States caused by increasing numbers of unvaccinated children is a worrisome foreshadow of what may come if and when a vaccine for Covid-19 is developed.
What makes this instance even more troubling than the measles outbreaks is that Covid-19 itself is already ridden with disinformation concerning its origins, its spread, and the threats posed by its existence. ‘Plandemic’, a conspiracy video promoting misinformation about Covid-19, was viewed over eight million times, and closely mirrors the tactics of the anti-vaxxers. Dr. Mikovits was rarely mentioned prior to April, and has suddenly become the face of the Covid-19 disinformation war. Cherry-picking experts is not only concerning due to its appeal to anti-vaxxers and climate change deniers, it is concerning because it has worked well for them.
Google Search for Judy Mikovits
A study by Dan Kahan at Yale University showed that increased scientific literacy polarized opinions on both sides of the climate change debate, because people used the knowledge to reinforce their existing beliefs. Bringing forth chosen experts such as Dr. Mikovits is a prime example of this tactic, used by climate change deniers and anti-vaxxers alike. This is also the reason that even though science itself has had multiple consensuses – that climate change is being caused by humans, and vaccines do not cause autism – that well-educated adults continue to believe the opposite.
Science has largely been portrayed as a collection of facts, rather than a method, leaving individuals of all walks of life unable to discern factual accuracy. This effect is worsened by repetition, easy-to-process explanations, and the other consequences of social media and peer pressure. Anti-vaxxers’ cases are further strengthened by psychology, causing people to prefer negative consequences caused by inaction (refusing vaccines) than action (getting vaccinated). While much has worked in favor of the efforts of anti-vaxxers, nothing has worked as well as ignoring them.
While public health advocates, scientists, and the government have issued blanket statements that vaccines are safe and effective, anti-vaxxers have strategized campaigns to insular groups, ranging from yoga moms concerned about holistic health to libertarians concerned about government overreach. In Germany, anti-vaxxer efforts are blended with anti-semitism and skepticism of Bill Gates, and in France, a broader distrust of the government. These coalitions help the anti-vaxxer population in Europe, normally a small subset of the population, to expand their reach.
The viral spread of ‘Plandemic’ despite its removal from Youtube and Facebook and multiple fact-checks disproving it demonstrate the importance of media literacy. Media literacy is the ability for people to make informed decisions and critical understanding of the media, and only when this is applied to the individual level will such anti-vaxxer movements lose their momentum.
