LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — Officials with the World Health Organization fear misinformation about Covid-19 and the vaccine is keeping people from getting the shot.
“In the last four weeks or so, the amount of misinformation that is out there seems to be getting worse, and I think that’s really confusing for the general public,” said Maria Van Kerkhove, Covid-19 technical lead for W.H.O.
In a Q&A on Facebook Tuesday, Dr. Kerkhove said misinformation is becoming another risk factor that’s allowing the virus to thrive.
So much, the U.S. Surgeon General declared Covid misinformation a ‘serious public threat’ last month.
UNLV’s Emma Frances Bloomfield, professor of communication studies weighed in to say social media is a great tool to spread information. But beware, information is only as good as its source.
"Social media is an amazing platform for the spread of information but with any tool it can be used positively but also negatively,” Bloomfield said.
Bloomfield studies science misinformation on social media, her expertise, combatting it.
“I think the most common one I see is that the vaccine is experimental and there’s not enough data on it and that it’s been rushed,” Bloomfield said.
And people like newly retired microbiology and immunology professor Tracy are using platforms like TikTok to nip vaccine misinformation in the bud.
"And the comments just told me everything I needed to know. Just how little people understood basic biology, basic microbiology, basic immunology....
Read Full Story: https://news3lv.com/news/local/as-covid-19-misinformation-spreads-on-social-media-experts-warn-to-vet-before-you-share
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