Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Surgeon General Warns Against 'Urgent Threat' Of Health Disinformation
The Hill: Surgeon General Says He's Lost 10 Family Members To Coronavirus
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on Thursday made a personal plea with Americans to get vaccinated and stop spreading misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic, revealing the toll the virus has taken on his family. "It’s painful for me to know that nearly every death we are seeing now from COVID-19 could have been prevented," Murthy said in remarks in the White House briefing room. "I say that as someone who has lost 10 family members to COVID-19, and who wishes each and every day that they had the opportunity to get vaccinated." (Samuels, 7/15)
NPR: The U.S. Surgeon General Is Asking You To Help Fight COVID-19 Misinformation
With about a third of adults in the U.S. still completely unvaccinated, and cases of COVID-19 on the rise, the U.S. surgeon general is calling for a war against "health misinformation." On Thursday, Dr. Vivek Murthy released the first surgeon general's advisory of his time serving in the Biden administration, describing the "urgent threat" posed by the rise of false information around COVID-19 — one that continues to put "lives at risk" and prolong the pandemic. Murthy says Americans must do their part to fight misinformation. (Brumfiel, 7/15)
The Washington Examiner: Surgeon General Calls On Tech Platforms To Counter COVID-19 Misinformation
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory on Thursday about health misinformation focused heavily on misinformation regarding the coronavirus pandemic. "During the COVID-19 pandemic, health misinformation has led people to resist wearing masks in high-risk settings. It's led them to turn down proven treatments and to choose not to get vaccinated. This has led to avoidable illnesses and deaths," Murthy told reporters Thursday. (Hogberg, 7/15)
Reuters: White House Slams Facebook As Conduit For COVID-19 Misinformation
Facebook is not doing enough to stop the spread of false claims about COVID-19 and vaccines, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Thursday, part of a new administration pushback on misinformation in the United States. Facebook, which owns Instagram and WhatsApp, needs to work harder to remove inaccurate vaccine information from its platform, Psaki said. (7/15)
In related news about misinformation —
Salt Lake Tribune: Cox Says Anti-Vax ‘Propaganda’ From Right-Wing Media Is ‘Killing People’
Gov. Spencer Cox said the anti-vaccination “propaganda” coming from right-wing media is likely harming efforts to get more Utahns vaccinated against COVID-19. “I think it’s harmful. It’s certainly not helpful,” Cox said Thursday, during his monthly KUED news conference. Cox noted that Utah’s vaccination rate has started to tick up recently, but that’s been accompanied by a sharp increase in new COVID-19 cases. (Schott and Pierce, 7/15)
The Washington Post: Four Pinocchios For Ron Johnson’s Campaign Of Vaccine Misinformation
Johnson has emerged as the leading vaccine skeptic in Congress this year. For months, the senator has been peddling misinformation about coronavirus vaccines, undeterred by fact checkers, federal health agencies, medical experts and a growing body of scientific research. More cases and research studies have accumulated since our fact checks were published, but Johnson’s statements remain unsupported by science. (7/15)
