Vaccine hesitancy and fake news

It is an undeniable fact that a majority of Pakistanis easily fall for conspiracy theories. Ever since the government started its vaccination programme, many posts that wrongly suggested that the vaccine has dangerous side effects have gone viral on social media. A few days, a piece of fake news was doing the rounds on different social networking sites. It suggested that vaccinated people would die within two years. This news spread like wildfire. Now, a majority of people are not ready to get vaccinated. Also, they are not allowing their family members to get vaccinated. International news outlets have already clarified that the post was misleading. The healthcare authorities are requested to take quick action against such misleading news. The media should play its part and create awareness among people about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine. We’ve already seen the failure of polio vaccination and its consequences. This time our government should be more active and must take all steps to fight against fake news.

Sara Akhtar

Karachi