Before the pandemic, the conventional wisdom in public health was that trying to engage with misinformation was like throwing water on a grease fire — nearly guaranteed to spread the problem.
But it’s become clear over the last few years that bad information about vaccines and other hot health topics is already so widespread that it’s unlikely that the first time someone encounters a myth will be when they see a post debunking it, said Emily Clancy, communications director for Immunize Colorado.
A 2021 poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation found 78% of adults had heard at least one myth about COVID-19 vaccines and either believed it or weren’t sure whether it was true.
For example, if almost no one had heard the idea that COVID-19 vaccines could change their DNA, pointing out that they can’t might spread the lie to people who wouldn’t have otherwise heard it. But as is, almost everyone has heard those kinds of falsehoods, so that’s not much of a concern, Clancy said.