End online vaccine disinformation

As states continue rolling out and expanding access to COVID-19 vaccines — vaccines that have been developed using science and evidence-based methods — my fellow health care professionals and I are hopeful that the end of this year-long public health crisis is in sight. We know that widespread vaccinations against COVID-19 offer a glimmer of hope for moving beyond this virus; however, the threat of COVID-19 and vaccine mis- and disinformation has proven to be a significant obstacle on our way to recovery.

Throughout Santa Cruz County, we have seen the tragedies of the pandemic firsthand. Too many of our fellow health care providers, friends, families and neighbors have felt the impact of the virus. Yet as we speak to patients who rely on us to help guide them in their health care decisions, it is devastating to see the clear impact disinformation has had on our patient’s confidence in vaccinations against COVID-19.

Rumors, myths and outright misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine continue to circulate across broadcast media and social media platforms at a concerning rate, even though they have been disproven by the facts and science that is clear before us. It’s troubling to watch high-profile individuals and organizations like Fox News with large followings actively and maliciously promote blatant falsehoods to take advantage of the vaccine hesitant.

In conjunction with broadcast media, social media platforms have become hotbeds of anti-vaccine sentiment. NPR recently reported that 31 million people follow anti-vaccine groups on Facebook, and 17 million subscribe to related YouTube accounts. When these groups are left unchecked by platform operators, their myths are widely read and repeated by parents and other media consumers. Through shares, retweets and reposts, their lies spread like wildfire.

While it is encouraging to see platforms like Facebook and Twitter updating policies around vaccine disinformation, policies are only empty words unless they are backed by active and consistent enforcement. The action of updating these policies alone indicates that these platforms are fully aware of the enormity of the issue. It is now their duty and responsibility to follow their statements with action.

To make fully informed choices about their health, individuals must have access to science-based evidence and verified information from credible sources. Their judgment should not be clouded or confused by rumors, lies or other falsehoods spread by fear mongers who are using baseless claims to instill doubt and paranoia in the American people.

Distributing the vaccine as quickly and efficiently as possible will without a doubt save lives. We cannot forget that over half a million Americans have lost their lives, and tens of millions more have contracted the virus worldwide within the past nine months alone. Our health care system has been pushed to its brink and more lives will be endangered if the anti-vaccine movement continues to gain traction.

Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter are uniquely positioned to take direct and immediate action to stymie the flow of disinformation. By simply enforcing the policies they have implemented, the few individuals and organizations who are responsible for the vast majority of vaccine disinformation can be removed without jeopardizing free speech at large.

As we draw closer to what could be the end of the pandemic, now is not the time to be complacent. Although the vaccine gives us hope, we continue to see new cases of the virus each day. The faster we are able to vaccinate, the fewer lives will be lost. Social media platforms have no small part to play in increasing rates of vaccination. By holding platforms accountable, we can put an end to disinformation and save lives in the process.

Donaldo Hernandez, M.D., is a member of the California Medical Association’s Board of Trustees and practices in Santa Cruz.