The circulation of faulty information has seen a significant increase with the COVID-19 pandemic and has had notable consequences on health.
“There is no doubt that misinformation represents one of the greatest challenges of our era,” says Professor Timothy of the Faculty of Law and School of Public Health at the University of Alberta. Caulfield.
In addition to holding the Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy, Mr. Caulfield co-founded LaSciencedAbord with senator and psychiatrist Stan Kutcher. The pan-Canadian organization is at the origin of the campaign Together against disinformation, which is currently taking place and in which New Brunswick Public Health and the Vitalité Health Network have joined forces.
“For Public Health and Vitalité, misinformation is not without consequences,” notes the health promoter, at Public Health, for the Vitalité Health Network, Nathalie Boivin.
“Incorrect information circulating could lead people to refuse treatments or vaccines, or even to resort to absurd recipes that could compromise their health,” continues Ms. Boivin.
“It makes it harder for individuals to make informed choices,” adds Timothy Caulfield.
“Stubborn myths”
Mr. Caulfield notes the growing reluctance of the population to be vaccinated against HPV, flu, measles and COVID-19.
“The ideas that the vaccine kills people, causes infertility and modifies DNA are stubborn myths,” observes the professor.
“The belief in this false information is intensifying.”
In June 2024, the Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania noted that a quarter of American adults did not believe the lack of evidence linking the measles vaccine and becoming autistic.
“All the evidence tells us that this is patently false,” says Professor Caulfield.
“This kind of misinformation can cause real harm.”
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 17 times more cases of measles during the first quarter of 2024 compared to that of 2020.
For its part, New Brunswick Public Health is monitoring an outbreak of measles in the province and advised that the number of cases had jumped to 25 last Saturday, after having confirmed a first one on October 24.
In February 2021, the journal Nature published the results of a study noting a drop of 6.2% and 6.4% in the number of people who initially said “definitely” wanted to be vaccinated against COVID-19, in the Kingdom -United and United States respectively.
This decline was attributable to misinformation. The article concluded that the phenomenon could cause the number of unvaccinated people to fall below the collective immunity threshold.
“We have a lot more data from the United States, but the numbers are similar here in Canada,” notes Professor Caulfield.
Partisan beliefs
“All these concerns are increasingly linked to political identity,” continues the professor, noting that the circulation of false information has contributed to lowering life expectancy in the United States.
A Yale University study published last summer indicated that after the availability of COVID-19 vaccines, the excess mortality rate of Republican supporters exceeded that of Democrats by 43% in Ohio and Florida. This gap was 15% between 2018 and 2021. Other research from Virginia Commonwealth University showed that, during the pandemic, excess mortality rates above the average were observed in states led by Republican elected officials.
“Many people have avoided the COVID vaccine because they think it is harmful, when in reality the evidence tells us exactly the opposite,” notes Caulfield.
“We see similar trends here in Canada,” he continues, mentioning increases in distrust in vaccination and the health system in general, as well as the increase in the use of unproven therapies that he attributes to the misinformation.
In an article he signed in Healthy Debate in September, Mr. Caulfield noted that the anti-vaccine movement was welcomed by the Alberta government of Danielle Smith.
An Ekos poll published in May 2023 also indicated that 91% of its respondents who had not been vaccinated against COVID-19 were supporters of the United Conservative Party, which Ms. Smith leads.
“Once misinformation becomes part of political identity, it becomes much more difficult to change people’s minds,” notes Professor Caulfield, emphasizing that the phenomenon is observable across the political spectrum.
He adds that contradicting false information can be seen as a partisan gesture in itself.
Countering misinformation
Nathalie Boivin believes that the increase in the circulation of questionable information on the internet and the sometimes confusing communications from governments during the chaotic moments of the pandemic may have pushed some people to distrust the State and the health system. She says Vitalité Health Network is working to improve its communications.
She also indicates that the network makes prevention efforts by promoting lifestyle habits that promote good health.
For his part, Timothy Caulfield considers that the fight against disinformation involves, among other things, the development of critical thinking from kindergarten and the teaching of digital literacy and scientific facts. Regulating the algorithms of digital platforms where false information is spread would also be beneficial, in his opinion.
“All Canadians can play a role in countering misinformation to ensure a better future,” concludes the professor, not without recognizing the imposing obstacles on the horizon.
“With the rise of AI and the degree of politicization of [la désinformation]there are definitely challenges that make me pessimistic.”
He notes, however, that improving knowledge and research that helps counter the spread of misinformation gives him hope.
