Misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccines has become such a problem that U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy issued a formal advisory on the subject Thursday.
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“If you’re not sure, don’t share,” said Murthy during a speech about the advisory delivered at the White House.
The topic of Murthy’s warning, the first of his tenure as surgeon general, is unusual for a formal advisory. Typically, these warnings would cover subjects such as alcohol abuse, opioid addiction and suicide, according to the Boston Globe. However, Murthy – who revealed that he has lost 10 family members from COVID-19 – believes that misinformation is now one of the leading factors in continued COVID-19 infection.
He called it “one of the biggest obstacles that’s preventing us from ending this pandemic.”
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A press release regarding the formal advisory said that misinformation is an urgent threat to public health. It explained that, since the pandemic began last March, Americans have been exposed to a “wide range” of misinformation about everything from masks and social distancing to treatments and vaccines. By May of this year, 67 percent of unvaccinated adults said they had heard at least one vaccine myth they either believed or entertained.
“Health misinformation has already caused significant harm, dividing families and communities and undermining vaccination efforts,” said the press release. Misinformation has also cost lives, Murthy said.
Though COVID-19 rates were down significantly in June compared to the height of the pandemic, they began to rise in recent weeks, according to Vox.
The Boston Globe said 48 states saw infection rates go up over the past two weeks and that most cases are fueled by the delta variant in unvaccinated people.
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Vaccines have proved effective against the delta variant.
Social media has a significant source of disinformation, said Murthy. In fact, an analysis of millions of social media posts found that false news stories were 70 percent more likely to be shared than true stories.
A recent study also showed that even brief exposure to these stories reduced reader’s willingness to get a vaccine.
A detailed explanation of Murthy’s advisory lays out ways that individuals and institutions can prevent or mitigate misinformation. Learning ways to determine credible information and using caution before sharing information are at the core of its recommendations.
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