Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Vaccine Misinformation Spreading Like 'Wildfire,' Surgeon General Says
Politico: Social Media Must Do More To Support Vaccination, Surgeon General Says
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on Sunday dismissed the idea that the Biden administration is looking for a scapegoat and using Facebook misinformation as an excuse for missing its vaccination goals. “This is about the health of Americans and the reality is that misinformation is still spreading like wildfire in our country, aided and abetted by technology platforms,” Murthy said on "Fox News Sunday.'' “I have been in dialogue with a number of technology companies in good faith efforts to express my concerns to them and where they have taken positive steps. And some of them have, I’ve acknowledged that, as we should do, but what I've also said very clearly to them, privately and also publicly, is that it's not enough.” (Ward, 7/18)
The Hill: Surgeon General: 'We Are Still Seeing A Proliferation Of Misinformation Online'
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on Sunday said the U.S. is seeing a “proliferation of misinformation online,” as false information regarding COVID-19 and vaccinations is being amplified on social media platforms. “We are still seeing a proliferation of misinformation online, and we know that health misinformation harms people's health. It costs them their lives,” Murthy told host Dana Bash on CNN’s “State of the Union.” (Schnell, 7/18)
The Wall Street Journal: Biden’s Facebook Attack Followed Months Of Frustration Inside White House
President Biden’s attack on Facebook Inc. on Friday followed months of mounting private frustration inside his administration over the social-media giant’s handling of vaccine misinformation, according to U.S. officials, bringing into public view tensions that could complicate efforts to stop the spread of Covid-19.The tough words between the White House and Silicon Valley escalated over the weekend, as Facebook issued a blunt statement accusing the Biden administration of distorting the facts. U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, who made the rounds on the Sunday talk shows in Washington, countered that social-media companies weren’t doing enough to clamp down on false statements about Covid-19 vaccines. (Restuccia and Needleman, 7/18)
But Facebook says it shouldn't be blamed —
CNBC: Facebook Refutes Biden Claim That It's ‘Killing People’ With Vaccine Misinformation
Facebook on Saturday refuted remarks made by President Joe Biden that social media platforms are “killing people” by allowing coronavirus vaccine misinformation on their services and argued that vaccine acceptance among its users has actually risen in the U.S. In a blog post, Guy Rosen, Facebook’s vice president of integrity, pointed to data suggesting that vaccine hesitancy among U.S. its users has declined by 50%, and 85% of users said they have been or would like to be vaccinated against Covid-19. (Newburger, 7/17)
In related news about misinformation —
Axios: Fauci: Smallpox, Polio Would Be In U.S. If Misinformation Spread Like On COVID
President Biden's chief medical adviser, Anthony Fauci, told CNN Saturday he's "certain" smallpox and polio would still be in the U.S. if vaccine misinformation spread like it has over COVID-19. Facebook doubled down in its defense Saturday against Biden's comments that social media platforms were "killing people" by allowing coronavirus vaccine misinformation on their sites. (Falconer, 7/18)
Philadelphia Inquirer: Misinformation About Vaccine Door-Knocking Is Spreading. But Neighborhood Outreach Has Worked Around Philly
Since President Joe Biden said last week his administration would push door-knocking efforts as one of several initiatives to boost the nation’s vaccination rate, some Republican elected officials and social media posts have suggested that door-to-door initiatives are efforts to force vaccination or could lead to the confiscation of guns or Bibles. Those claims, for which there is no evidence, add to the misinformation already sowing doubt for some Americans about the coronavirus vaccines. And they come as the effort to increase the nation’s middling vaccination rate takes on new urgency in the effort to prevent the spread of the more contagious delta variant. (McDaniel, 7/16)
