{"id":1443,"date":"2020-11-28T16:00:03","date_gmt":"2020-11-28T16:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/?p=1329573"},"modified":"2020-11-28T16:00:03","modified_gmt":"2020-11-28T16:00:03","slug":"4-ways-to-respond-to-vaccine-skeptics-on-social-media","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/?p=1443","title":{"rendered":"4 ways to respond to vaccine skeptics on social media"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For most of the 20th century, more than 60,000 people died in the US from polio, diphtheria, and small pox<\/a> each year. In 2016, the American death toll from these diseases was zero. Around the globe, two to three million deaths from these diseases and others, including measles, rubella, and tetanus, are prevented each year<\/a>.<\/p>\n

These remarkable statistics are a triumph of medicine and the single most effective public health measure in history: global vaccination programs.<\/p>\n

COVID-19, after the most rapid and sustained vaccine development program in history, now looks set to be joining this list of fatal diseases that can be easily prevented<\/a> with a jab or two. The disease that has killed an estimated 1.3 million people (and rising), may have had its day. Sadly, there\u2019s a lot of misinformation surrounding vaccinations<\/a>, threatening the success of inoculation programmes.<\/p>\n

So what can you do to protect yourself against misinformation and challenge it in conversation with others?<\/p>\n

1. Understand who you are talking to<\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s not forget that the majority of people are happy to receive a COVID-19 vaccine (64%, according to a recent study<\/a>). Only a small minority (9%) have no intention of getting vaccinated. If you enter into a debate about vaccination it may well be with someone who falls into this latter group. You are very unlikely to change the minds of these vaccine refusers<\/a>, so the main audience for your arguments is actually the rest of any onlooking group \u2013 and particularly the 27% who are hesitant about vaccination.<\/p>\n

[Read: Why this security engineer loves working in infosec<\/span><\/a>]<\/em><\/p>\n

The point of your discussion is to empower the members of the audience with knowledge and arguments. To do so, it\u2019s important to find common ground<\/a> and \u201cbond\u201d with whoever you are talking to, rather than just lecturing them.<\/p>\n

2. Inoculate against misinformation<\/h2>\n

There are numerous examples of misinformation \u201csticking\u201d in our individual and social memories, despite repeated attempts to dislodge it \u2013 such as the false \u201cfact\u201d that humans have just five senses<\/a>. Rather than fighting false facts, the better option is to enable people to spot misinformation before it percolates through society and becomes \u201cendemic\u201d as accepted truth.<\/p>\n