We’ll need more than facts to fight medical misinformation.
In 2019, measles cases in the U.S. have been on the rise, much of it driven by false claims about the safety of the vaccine.
In the Video Op-Ed above, a cancer researcher, David Robert Grimes, confronts the rising trend of medical misinformation. From herbal remedies for cancer to vaccination horror stories, fake medical news is spreading fast on social media.
The effects can be severe, with anti-vaccination movements partly responsible for the resurgence of measles and other preventable illnesses.
In 2015, an anti-vaccination campaign in Ireland caused a sudden fall in the number of HPV vaccines administered, given to young girls and boys to prevent cervical cancer. Dr. Grimes tells the story of how, with the help of a remarkable woman named Laura Brennan, they were able to reverse the trend, and what countries like the United States can learn in their fight against medical misinformation.
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