The saying goes, “You can’t believe everything you find on the Internet.” As simple as that sounds, navigating social media can often blur the line between reality and fantasy. This proves especially difficult when trying to fight a global pandemic.
“The vaccine is the major way that we’re going to get out of this pandemic,” said John Epling, medical director of research for the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Carilion Clinic and collaborator on the project. “Concerns about the vaccine are of course always legitimate, but in this case, there is sort of a clear and present danger of the pandemic. Misinformation, intentionally or otherwise, can really derail our best chance to get out of this pandemic.”