Donald Morrison: Turning the wave on vaccine (mis) information wars | Columnists

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In 1998, a British doctor named Andrew Wakefield published an article in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet linking childhood autism to vaccines for measles, mumps and rubella. The findings went viral. MMR vaccines have collapsed.

A few years later, Wakefield, an outspoken opponent of vaccines, was found to have manipulated the results. He lost his medical license and the Lancet article was revoked, but only after countless children died as a result of that disinformation.

It happens again. The myths and distortions about the COVID-19 vaccine kill thousands of Americans every day. Anti-vaxxers, along with conservative politicians and TV commentators, slander vaccines as ineffective, dangerous and part of the government’s plan to enslave the people.

President Biden took a few more days the previous day for accusing social media giants of spreading disinformation to kill people. A little cruel maybe, but he had a point.

Mainly due to the highly contagious delta variant, new COVID-19 cases have climbed again to 200 percent in the past two weeks, nationwide and in the Berkshires. Hospitals reported that up to 99 percent of newly infected patients were not vaccinated. Some of them will die.

What is wrong with these people? Vaccines are plentiful, cost -effective and provide strong protection against the coronavirus. Yet many people reject them. Are they nuts?

Probably just worried. A new Kaiser Family Foundation survey found that the biggest reason for vaccine hesitation was concern about possible side effects, followed by concerns over long-term complications. Those points are easy to address: Billions of vaccinations have been given, with almost zero problems. And what’s a little on the surface is more serious than taking COVID-19, let alone dying it.

The problem is, some people don’t listen to the evidence. Instead, they surf a captivating frightening sea of ​​misinformation, much of it anecdotal, on TV and social media. Mendacity works. Researchers at MIT found that even minimal exposure to this nonsense weakens vaccination rates.

Meanwhile, the whole subject of COVID-19 has become so politicized that rational debate is difficult. More than 85 percent of Democrats have had at least one shot, but only 52 percent of Republicans. The New York Times reported that the smallest vaccinated counties in the U.S. have one thing in common: they all voted for Donald Trump. For some Republicans, refusing to be vaccinated has become a badge of political allegiance.

It is tempting to say: Darwin is right. Let these idiots go. This is their choice. But that response is neither humane nor wise. People can get COVID-19 by their own stupidity, but they continue to infect other people and they have all become potential petri dishes for newer, more contagious, more vaccine-resistant.

Cracking on disinformation can help, but it’s not the answer. Nor is the hectoring undeveloped, which only reinforces their motivation to rebel against the intrusive government, liberals resentful and expert-minded scientists.

A better strategy, communications experts say, is to remind people that most Americans get at least one shot of the vaccine, that nearly half are fully vaccinated, and many people are discharging of their sleeves every day. Emphasizing the vast number of people who have chosen to be vaccinated is more effective than complaining about those who don’t. If everyone does it, it’s probably not that bad.

In fact, the Kaiser study found that the single best method for ending vaccine hesitation was to convey a sense of momentum through personal contacts. Friends, relatives and family doctors are, in fact, our secret weapon in the vaccination war.

And a war it is a life-and-death struggle fought in trenches, hand-and-face and face to face. So if you know compatriots who didn’t get a shot, the best thing you can do is this: Tell them you did, and why.

Recently, some top Republicans Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Minority Whip Steve Scalise Fox News Sean Hannity seems to have decided that too many of their followers are dying. They started urging people to get vaccinations and even brag about their own shots. The rising tide is. Forward it

Disinformation can kill Americans, but good information can save them especially if it comes from sources they trust. Information is power. So get out of there and use it.

Donald Morrison is an Eagle columnist and co-chairman of the advisory board. The opinions expressed by the columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of The Berkshire Eagle.

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