Category: Misinformation, Disinformation, and Conspiracy Theories
How conspiracy theories about COVID’s origins are hampering our ability to prevent the next pandemic
The Conversation In late June, the Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO), a group of independent experts convened by the World Health Organization (WHO), published an assessment of the origins of COVID. The report concluded that although we don’t know conclusively where the virus that caused the pandemic came from: a zoonotic origin […]
Jul 30, 2025
The Rise of Misinformation and Distrust in Science
Harvard Global Health As part of our ongoing event series, this session is dedicated to navigating the complexities of health information, misinformation, and trust. We’ll explore how to distinguish between misinformation, disinformation, and legitimate differences in opinion. Participants will gain practical tools for fact-checking health claims and evaluating sources, while also examining how shifts in […]
Jul 2, 2025
RFK Jr. sent Congress ‘medical disinformation’ to defend COVID vaccine schedule change
NPR A document the Department of Health and Human Services sent to lawmakers to support Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s decision to change U.S. policy on COVID vaccines cites scientific studies that are unpublished or under dispute and mischaracterizes others. One health expert called the document “willful medical disinformation” about the safety of COVID vaccines […]
Jun 17, 2025
How to speak to a vaccine sceptic: research reveals what works
Nature Hesitancy about vaccinations is on the rise, but studies show there are specific ways to address people’s questions. In her professional life, Sophia Newcomer analyses vaccination trends and safety in the United States. The epidemiologist, at the University of Montana, Missoula, has investigated the factors that stop some people from completing their children’s recommended […]
Jun 11, 2025
Information Inoculation: Defending Against Medical Myths: Why we need to fight misinformation about vaccines | Ethan Lindenberger
TED Podcast Ethan Lindenberger never got vaccinated as a kid. So one day, he went on Reddit and asked a simple question: “Where do I go to get vaccinated?” The post went viral, landing Lindenberger in the middle of a heated debate about vaccination and, ultimately, in front of a US Senate committee. Less than […]
Jun 4, 2025
Separating Snake Oil From Science
The Dispatch When the lines between expert and huckster are increasingly blurry, how do we determine what’s authoritative? Health communication—especially across social media—has become that pooling equilibrium. It used to be the case that when the results of scientific studies were disseminated, the messaging came from your doctor or national organizations like the American Academy of […]
May 21, 2025
Physicians Sound Alarm: Vaccine Misinformation and Policy Failures Threaten US Public Health
Infection Control Today We find ourselves at a pivotal moment in public health. On one side, we are experiencing an extraordinary wave of vaccine innovation, offering new platforms, protections, and avenues for disease prevention. Conversely, we face an unprecedented decline in public trust. Vaccine misinformation has transitioned from a fringe concern to a dominant force […]
May 14, 2025
The little-known database at the heart of Kennedy’s vaccine conspiracy theory
NBC News Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has long claimed a secret database holds the truth about vaccines and autism. Now that he’s in charge, his anti-vaccine supporters wonder — can he deliver? For as long as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has falsely claimed that vaccines cause widespread harm — from autism to sudden death — […]
May 7, 2025
Measles Misinformation Is on the Rise — And Americans Are Hearing It, Survey Finds
KFF While the most serious measles epidemic in a decade has led to the deaths of two children and spread to 27 states with no signs of letting up, beliefs about the safety of the measles vaccine and the threat of the disease are sharply polarized, fed by the anti-vaccine views of the country’s seniormost […]
May 7, 2025
Anti-Vaxxers Are Grifting Off the Measles Outbreak—and Claim a Bioweapon Caused It
Wired Activists affiliated with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are selling a “measles treatment and prevention protocol” for hundreds of dollars, including supplements supposedly formulated by AI. Anti-vaccine activists with close ties to US health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are falsely claiming that the measles public health crisis in Texas is caused by a “bioweapon” targeting the Mennonite community. […]
Apr 23, 2025