Vaccines are widely regarded as one of humanity’s success stories. However, coverage for the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine has fallen for the fourth consecutive year in the UK, leading to a rise in measles cases.
Politicians and doctors are claiming that social media is the main factor behind the anti-vaccine resurgence which is infiltrating the decision-making of parents nationwide and across the world.
The history
Distrust in vaccines can be traced to almost 20 years ago, when Andrew Wakefield’s now discredited theory was published in the The Lancet. In the 1998 piece, he argues there is a link between the MMR vaccine and autism.
A drop in vaccination rates soon followed, until the vast majority of the scientific community repeatedly proved his claims to be false. Consequently, rates began picking up again in the mid-2000s.
The assumption was that this trend would continue, ensuring herd immunity. The latest statistics, though, tell a different story.
“The rise in measles cases is a real shock”
Between 2010 and 2017, 169 million children worldwide did not receive the first dose of the measles vaccine.
This has led to a 300% global rise in measles cases compared to last year, with Europe bearing a significant share. The continent now has more measles cases than Africa.
Professor Beate Kampmann, the Director of the Vaccine Centre at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, sees the outbreak of measles in Europe as “a real shock”
She explains how the problem exists in the UK too, where half a million children missed the jab in the same period.
“Particularly in the last few months, we’ve seen a drop off in the coverage for measles”, she says. “We’re now seeing the consequence of this, that the cases of measles have gone up again”.
The cause
Why are people re-embracing anti-vax sentiments? And what can be done about it?
The head of NHS England believes it is caused by social media, warning in March 2019 that “vaccination deniers” are gaining traction as part of a “fake news” movement.
Professor Kampmann highlights that social media allows for information “which is often very ill-advised” to be brought to “people where they want to have it, which is on their smartphones and on their Facebook pages”.
Jonathan Dean Coey, a virologist, argues that so-called anti-vaxxers, who are already “very loud people”, use social media as “a megaphone”.
Social media “is global”, he says, “so you can spread a message everywhere very fast and very powerfully”.
So powerful, in fact, that despite Facebook’s attempts to reduce the distribution of anti-vax propaganda, around 20% of parents now consult internet sites and social media over their doctor.
This, asserts Health Secretary Matt Hancock, must be tackled. He believes that those who promote the anti-vaccination myth are “morally reprehensible, deeply irresponsible and have blood on their hands”.
He is especially concerned with “the spread of anti-vaccine messages online”, calling them “lies”.
“I hate vaccines”
The impact of social media working in practice is clear when speaking to those who reject vaccinations.
Miri, from North London, has five children, whose ages range from 16 to just one years old. Her daughter, who is unvaccinated, says she “hates” vaccines.
Miri didn’t always reject vaccinations – her first three children were all immunised. At one stage, “the doctor was my best friend”, she admits. “You rely on your doctor, you trust them, you believe whatever they tell you. It wasn’t even a thought to question it”.
Over the years though, in part due to what she saw on social media, her mind began to change. Whilst it was a “scary decision” to not vaccinate, sites like Facebook provided her with the support network she craved.
Personalisation of the internet
Miri’s experience begs the question as to why, in a world of fact checking websites and scientific papers, it is misinformation which still appeals to people’s psychological biases.
Michael Patrick Lynch, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Connecticut, says, “We hear competing bits of information – that information which already coheres with what we already believe is going to be more tempting for us to accept.”
Mr Lynch believes this is exacerbated by social media because “everything that we read or encounter or listen or watch on the internet now is tailored to fit our unique preferences. That’s great when you’re shopping for shoes or books. It’s not so great when you’re shopping for facts.”
“I’m more scared of the vaccine now than the actual disease”
The fear for medical professionals is that this scepticism will only grow further.
Miri, for example, openly confessed that she is “more scared of the vaccine now than the actual disease”.
“When people say they’re scared of getting measles – to me it’s laughable. If she gets it, that’s great. That’ll be a great boost for her immune system and she’ll have lifelong immunity. Why wouldn’t I want that?”
The fight back
Therefore, scientists like Mr Coey are calling on colleagues to take matters into their own hands and directly counter the anti-vax message online.
“The anti-vaxxers are very good on Twitter”, he says, “so we need to match that. The problem, is that a lot of people don’t have time, there’s no reward for doing it”.
Despite this, Dr Alan Stanton, a Consultant Pediatrician and former District Immunisation coordinator, insists this is a battle worth fighting:
“I think we should be worried about anything that leads children to be dying unnecessarily in any numbers”
Society is witnessing is a perfect storm of inherent weaknesses in the human condition capitalised on by technical drivers. Until this is resolved, the vaccine debate continues to absorb public attention.
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HeadlineCity Investigates: How social media is causing a drop in vaccination rates
Short Headline'I hate vaccines' : what's driving the anti-vaccination movement?
StandfirstA rise in measles cases is being attributed to fake news being spread online.
Vaccines are widely regarded as one of humanity’s success stories. However, coverage for the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine has fallen for the fourth consecutive year in the UK, leading to a rise in measles cases.
Politicians and doctors are claiming that social media is the main factor behind the anti-vaccine resurgence which is infiltrating the decision-making of parents nationwide and across the world.
The history
Distrust in vaccines can be traced to almost 20 years ago, when Andrew Wakefield’s now discredited theory was published in the The Lancet. In the 1998 piece, he argues there is a link between the MMR vaccine and autism.
A drop in vaccination rates soon followed, until the vast majority of the scientific community repeatedly proved his claims to be false. Consequently, rates began picking up again in the mid-2000s.
The assumption was that this trend would continue, ensuring herd immunity. The latest statistics, though, tell a different story.
“The rise in measles cases is a real shock”
Between 2010 and 2017, 169 million children worldwide did not receive the first dose of the measles vaccine.
This has led to a 300% global rise in measles cases compared to last year, with Europe bearing a significant share. The continent now has more measles cases than Africa.
Professor Beate Kampmann, the Director of the Vaccine Centre at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, sees the outbreak of measles in Europe as “a real shock”
She explains how the problem exists in the UK too, where half a million children missed the jab in the same period.
“Particularly in the last few months, we’ve seen a drop off in the coverage for measles”, she says. “We’re now seeing the consequence of this, that the cases of measles have gone up again”.
The cause
Why are people re-embracing anti-vax sentiments? And what can be done about it?
The head of NHS England believes it is caused by social media, warning in March 2019 that “vaccination deniers” are gaining traction as part of a “fake news” movement.
Professor Kampmann highlights that social media allows for information “which is often very ill-advised” to be brought to “people where they want to have it, which is on their smartphones and on their Facebook pages”.
Jonathan Dean Coey, a virologist, argues that so-called anti-vaxxers, who are already “very loud people”, use social media as “a megaphone”.
Social media “is global”, he says, “so you can spread a message everywhere very fast and very powerfully”.
So powerful, in fact, that despite Facebook’s attempts to reduce the distribution of anti-vax propaganda, around 20% of parents now consult internet sites and social media over their doctor.
This, asserts Health Secretary Matt Hancock, must be tackled. He believes that those who promote the anti-vaccination myth are “morally reprehensible, deeply irresponsible and have blood on their hands”.
He is especially concerned with “the spread of anti-vaccine messages online”, calling them “lies”.
“I hate vaccines”
The impact of social media working in practice is clear when speaking to those who reject vaccinations.
Miri, from North London, has five children, whose ages range from 16 to just one years old. Her daughter, who is unvaccinated, says she “hates” vaccines.
Miri didn’t always reject vaccinations – her first three children were all immunised. At one stage, “the doctor was my best friend”, she admits. “You rely on your doctor, you trust them, you believe whatever they tell you. It wasn’t even a thought to question it”.
Over the years though, in part due to what she saw on social media, her mind began to change. Whilst it was a “scary decision” to not vaccinate, sites like Facebook provided her with the support network she craved.
Personalisation of the internet
Miri’s experience begs the question as to why, in a world of fact checking websites and scientific papers, it is misinformation which still appeals to people’s psychological biases.
Michael Patrick Lynch, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Connecticut, says, “We hear competing bits of information – that information which already coheres with what we already believe is going to be more tempting for us to accept.”
Mr Lynch believes this is exacerbated by social media because “everything that we read or encounter or listen or watch on the internet now is tailored to fit our unique preferences. That’s great when you’re shopping for shoes or books. It’s not so great when you’re shopping for facts.”
“I’m more scared of the vaccine now than the actual disease”
The fear for medical professionals is that this scepticism will only grow further.
Miri, for example, openly confessed that she is “more scared of the vaccine now than the actual disease”.
“When people say they’re scared of getting measles – to me it’s laughable. If she gets it, that’s great. That’ll be a great boost for her immune system and she’ll have lifelong immunity. Why wouldn’t I want that?”
The fight back
Therefore, scientists like Mr Coey are calling on colleagues to take matters into their own hands and directly counter the anti-vax message online.
“The anti-vaxxers are very good on Twitter”, he says, “so we need to match that. The problem, is that a lot of people don’t have time, there’s no reward for doing it”.
Despite this, Dr Alan Stanton, a Consultant Pediatrician and former District Immunisation coordinator, insists this is a battle worth fighting:
“I think we should be worried about anything that leads children to be dying unnecessarily in any numbers”
Society is witnessing is a perfect storm of inherent weaknesses in the human condition capitalised on by technical drivers. Until this is resolved, the vaccine debate continues to absorb public attention.
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