I am urging all Americans to help slow the spread of health misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Health misinformation is a serious threat to public health. It can cause confusion, sow mistrust, harm people’s health, and undermine public health efforts. Limiting the spread of health misinformation is a moral and civic imperative that will require a whole-of-society effort. – Vivek H. Murthy, M.D., M.B.A. Vice Admiral, U.S. Public Health Service – Surgeon General of the United States
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued the first Surgeon General’s Advisory of this Administration to warn the public about the urgent threat of health misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Access the Advisory.
This advisory outlines how the public can confront health misinformation by helping individuals, families and communities better identify and limit its spread and issues a number of ways institutions in education, media, medicine, research and government stakeholders can approach this issue. Studies have shown that even brief exposure to misinformation made people less likely to want a COVID-19 vaccine, dividing families and communities and undermining vaccination and treatment efforts.