Pro-Vaccine Information Could Actually Reinforce Misinformation

Current strategies for combating misinformation about the associations between vaccination and autism could actually reinforce those beliefs, according to the results of a recent study.

For their study, the researchers compared the effectiveness of 3 strategies for vaccination promotion: contrasting myths vs facts, employing fact boxes, and showing images of non-vaccinated sick children.
___________________________________________________________________________________
RELATED CONTENT
Vaccine Lessens Severity of Pertussis Infections
Vaccines May Be Responsible for Drop in Ear Infection Rates
Rotavirus Vaccine Has Prevented 380,000 Gastroenteritis-Related Hospitalizations
___________________________________________________________________________________

They evaluated beliefs in an autism/vaccine link and vaccination side effects, and intention to vaccinate future children in 134 students from Italy and Scotland, with 134 completing the first wave of study and 120 completing the second. One group was shown a pamphlet on vaccine myths and facts, another was shown a series of tables comparing potential problems caused by measles, mumps, and rubella with potential side effects of the MMR vaccine, and a third group was shown pictures of children with measles, mumps, or rubella. A fourth group acted as a control. Participants were given a survey before and after interventions.

Overall, the researchers found that all of the strategies employed in the study were counterproductive, with belief in vaccine myths strengthened and likelihood of future vaccination lessened.

“[O]ur work can help public health authorities and practitioners to understand why it is necessary to adopt an appropriate strategy to influence people’s beliefs and behaviors toward vaccination, which can result in better health outcomes for the individuals themselves and for society as a whole,” the researchers concluded.

—Michael Potts

Reference:

Pluviano S, Watt C, Sala SD. Misinformation lingers in memory: Failure of three pro-vaccination strategies [published online July 27, 2017]. PLOS One. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0181640.