How can doctors counter health misinformation on social media?

Researchers have estimated that vaccine hesitancy may have resulted in more than 300 000 unnecessary covid-19 deaths in the United States alone,1 and that misinformation on social media could be a substantial contributor to reluctance to take up vaccination.2 People aged under 50 rely on social media for most of their news.3 Reaching people through these channels with accurate vaccine information could be crucial to saving lives. Evidence already suggests that doctors can intervene effectively to influence individual and population health without risking harm to others or themselves.The experience of Anthony Fauci is a prominent example of the potential risks that doctors can face. While head of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and adviser to the president, he adopted an outspoken approach to challenging misperceptions around covid-19 on social media. Fauci received death threats early in the pandemic, prompting personal security measures, and was attacked on…
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