GW faculty Dr. Y. Tony Yang recently published an opinion piece in JAMA Pediatrics on vaccine misinformation on social media and the government’s role in regulating its spread. He and his coauthors Dr. David Broniatowski (of the GW School of Engineering and Applied Science) and Dr. Dorit Rubenstein Reiss examine the current legal landscape and weigh First Amendment concerns with the public interest in maintaining a well-vaccinated public.
They argue that private social media companies, government agencies, and public health officials all need to work in tandem on combating the spread of vaccine misinformation. Ultimately, they call for additional research to get to the root of why there is a demand for vaccine misinformation in order to best counter its spread and help correct misinformation that is already in the public sphere.
Yang YT, Broniatowski DA, Reiss DR. Government Role in Regulating Vaccine Misinformation on Social Media Platforms. JAMA Pediatr. Published online September 03, 2019. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.2838
Image citation: Toddler about to receive a vaccine from a doctor. Retrieved 09/30/2019 from https://www.flickr.com/photos/selfmagazine/48545839516/in/album-72157710332198661/
