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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAAP Urges Major Technology Companies to Combat Vaccine Misinformation Online
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AAP Urges Major Technology Companies to Combat Vaccine Misinformation Online
https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/Pages/Vaccine-Misinformation-Tech-Company-Letters.aspx
3/4/2019
As measles spreads in U.S., pediatricians go beyond the clinic walls to reach parents with accurate information to protect children
Washington, DCToday, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) President Kyle E. Yasuda, MD, FAAP, sent letters to the CEOs of three major technology companiesGoogle (which owns YouTube), Facebook (which owns Instagram and WhatsApp) and Pinteresthighlighting the growing threat that online vaccine misinformation poses to childrens health.
Pediatricians are working in our clinics and our communities, talking with families one-on-one about how important vaccines are to protect their childrens health. But its no longer enough, said Dr. Yasuda. Our worst fears are being realized as measles outbreaks spread across the country. I reached out to the technology industry with an urgent request to work together to combat the dangerous spread of vaccine misinformation online.
Though robust scientific research demonstrates that vaccines are safe, effective and life-saving, inaccurate and misleading content about vaccines proliferates online. As parents increasingly turn to social media to gather information and form opinions about their childrens health, the consequences of inaccurate information play out offline.
While Facebook, Google and Pinterest have each indicated that they are taking steps to address the unique vulnerabilities in their respective platforms, the Academy urges more be done to ensure that parents are equipped with credible information from verified sources about vaccines.
Pediatricians talk with families every day about their childrens health, and we respect parents who disagree with us. We have found that continuing to talk with parents who are hesitant about vaccines is the best way to bring them closer to a decision to vaccinate their child. The same is true in the social media space, writes Dr. Yasuda.
The letters conclude with a request to meet and discuss ways the AAP and the technology companies can work together to ensure that when searching for information on vaccines, the information parents find online is credible, informed by science and from trusted sources.
We have an opportunityand in my view, an obligationto work together to solve this public health crisis, Dr. Yasuda writes. It will take commitments across all sectorslocal and federal government, the medical and public health community, and the technology industryto do so.
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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. For more information, visit aap.org and follow us on Twitter @AmerAcadPeds.
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