Factors Affecting Vaccine Attitudes Influenced by the COVID-19 Pandemic

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10057947/?utm_campaign=KFF-Misinformation-Trust&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_5-qbqaN1vNEhV20owYDac7Jwsq_9Bem5Wv90F7Xb6bWZJ3tD8mUEkQYiGFdLsBlk_knujPSt04bo2G2BHFKukUrWT_w&_hsmi=315217036&utm_content=315217036&utm_source=hs_email In June, a Reuters investigation revealed that the U.S. military conducted a covert anti-vaccine disinformation campaign in the Philippines between 2020 and 2021. As a part of the campaign, U.S. military officials used fake social media accounts to spread false information to people in the Philippines about COVID-19 equipment from China. This included masks, test kits, and the Chinese Sinovac vaccine, which is the first COVID-19 vaccine that was available in the Philippines. Health experts said these actions put lives at risk and undermined confidence in public health systems. The Philippines, a long-time ally of the U.S., had one of the highest COVID-19 death rates in the region and some of the lowest vaccination rates. Reuters was unable to determine the reach and impact of the disinformation campaign, but it likely hindered vaccination efforts in the Philippines. Studies suggest that any anti-vaccine campaign can potentially undermine overall public trust in vaccines.