Clinical Update
The U.S. Surgeon General’s Warning
The U.S. Surgeon General warns the American public about the current threat of Health Misinformation.[1],[2] He emphasized the fact that even though health misinformation is not something new, the rate of spread of misinformation in this digital age is alarming and disrupting public health safety guidelines that will help us combat the current COVID-19 pandemic.[3] The public – individuals, parents, health professionals, educators, technology companies, news companies – should be vigilant in verifying the sources of information they see and hear, ensuring that these information come from reliable sources and sound science.3 Here is a few of what the Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy said:
“Health misinformation is false, inaccurate, or misleading information about health, according to the best evidence at the time. And while it often appears innocuous on social media apps and retail sites or search engines, the truth is that misinformation takes away our freedom to make informed decisions about our health and the health of our loved ones.
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 death. Simply put, health [mis]information has cost us lives.
Now, health misinformation didn’t start with COVID-19. What’s different now though is the speed and scale at which health misinformation is spreading. Modern technology companies have enabled misinformation to poison our information environment with little accountability to their users. They’ve allowed people who intentionally spread misinformation — what we call “disinformation” — to have extraordinary reach.
They’ve designed product features, such as “Like” buttons, that reward us for sharing emotionally-charged content, not accurate content. And their algorithms tend to give us more of what we click on, pulling us deeper and deeper into a well of misinformation.
Now, we need an all-of-society approach to fight misinformation. And that’s why this advisory that I issued today has recommendations for everyone.
First, we include recommendations for individuals and families. We ask people to raise the bar for sharing health information by checking sources before they share, to ensure that information is backed by credible, scientific sources. As we say in the advisory, “If you’re not sure, don’t share.”
Second, we’re asking health organizations to proactively address misinformation with their patients. Today, the American Academy of Pediatrics is announcing an educational campaign to help parents navigate online health information. I’m encouraged to see this commitment. And, again, this is just the beginning.
Third, we’re asking educational institutions to help improve health information literacy.
We’re asking researchers and foundations as well to help us learn more about how health [mis]information spreads and how to stop it.
Today, the Rockefeller Foundation is announcing a $13.5 million commitment to counter health misinformation. The Digital Public Library of America is announcing that they will convene a set of librarians, scholars, journalists, and civic leaders to confront health misinformation together.
Fourth, we’re saying we expect more from our technology companies. We’re asking them to operate with greater transparency and accountability. We’re asking them to monitor misinformation more closely. We’re asking them to consistently take action against misinformation super-spreaders on their platforms.
Fifth, we’re also asking news organizations to proactively address the public’s questions without inadvertently giving a platform to health misinformation that can harm their audiences.
And sixth, we know that government can play an important role too by investing in research, by bringing individuals and organizations together to address misinformation, and by supporting groups that are working on this issue.
On a personal note, it’s painful for me to know that nearly every death we are seeing now from COVID-19 could have been prevented. I say that as someone who has lost 10 family members to COVID and who wishes each and every day that they had had the opportunity to get vaccinated.
I say that also as a concerned father of two young children who aren’t yet eligible for the vaccine, but I know that our kids are depending on all of us to get vaccinated to shield them from this virus.”3
Full Surgeon General Advisory here.
COVID-19 UPDATE
· A new research published from the Journal of American Medical Association is showing that pregnant individuals who has gotten the mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine from Pfizer had lower risk of getting COVID-19.[4] Majority of the side effect after getting the vaccine were headache, weakness, pain and stomachache.1 This is a very positive news for pregnant women who are not sure if the vaccine is safe for them or not.
· Last week, there were confusion regarding the circulating news about a possible booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine. The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a joint statement emphasizing that fully vaccinated individuals are protected against the Delta variant of COVID-19, and that the cases now are from unvaccinated individuals.[5] Furthermore, the CDC, FDA and National Institutes of Health (NIH) are continuously reviewing and analyzing latest science, evidence and data to identify if and when the fully vaccinated individuals need a booster.2 As of now, they are not recommending booster shots for fully vaccinated individuals, and highly encouraging the unvaccinated public to get the COVID-19 Vaccine.2
· The FDA added to the fact sheet of the Janssen (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine a warning that it can cause an increased risk for Guillain-Barre Syndrome 6 weeks after vaccination.[6],[7] They mentioned that the risk is “very low,” but the patients need to be aware and should seek medical attention when they experience weakness, tingling sensation in legs or arm, difficulty walking or difficulty in facial movements.[8]
· The CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) are going to have a virtual meeting on July 22, 2021, 11 am – 4 pm ET. The meeting is open to the public and is available online via live webcast. No registration needed. Check this website for further details:
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/meetings/index.html?ACSTrackingID=USCDC_11_7-DM61389&ACSTrackingLabel=ACIP%20virtual%20COVID-19%20meeting%20July%2022%2C%202021&deliveryName=USCDC_11_7-DM61389
[1] The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory. July 15, 2021. https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-misinformation-advisory.pdf
[2] HHS.gov. July 15, 2021. https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2021/07/15/us-surgeon-general-issues-advisory-during-covid-19-vaccination-push-warning-american.html
[3] The White House Briefing. July 15, 2021. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2021/07/15/press-briefing-by-press-secretary-jen-psaki-and-surgeon-general-dr-vivek-h-murthy-july-15-2021/
[4] JAMA. July 12, 2021. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2782047
[5] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. July 8, 2021. https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2021/07/08/joint-cdc-and-fda-statement-vaccine-boosters.html
[6] Reuters. July 12, 2021. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-announce-new-warning-jj-coronavirus-vaccine-autoimmune-disorder-washington-2021-07-12/
[7] Medscape. July 12, 2021. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/954669
[8] FDA. July 8, 2021. https://www.fda.gov/media/146305/download
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