The Covid-19 pandemic provided a unique platform for spreading false information, giving vaccine skeptics increased visibility and influence that some individuals continue to take advantage of even five years later.
“Antivaccine” did not hesitate to spread misinformation about vaccines long before 2020, highlighting the risky side effects or untested nature of the products.
The rise of covid-19 helped boost a previously minor movement into a stronger influence, as noted in a study published in The Lancet in 2023.
The pandemic provided an opportunity for skeptics to alter their approach when addressing parents, who were responsible for vaccinating their children, by making their speeches more general to reach a wider audience.
“We are seeing multiple clearly defined bubbles coming together in opposition to vaccination during this time,” reports Romy Sauvayre, a French sociology assistant professor and expert in medical beliefs.
Adherents of alternative medicine, political figures, and individuals in the medical field have increasingly made untrue or baseless claims about vaccines and the virus, in addition to the typical conspirators.
The discussions regarding the efficiency of hydroxychloroquine in treating covid-19, advocated by French doctor Didier Raoult, stirred up a portion of the population in France due to his study being recently discredited.
Other individuals with scientific or medical authority, like him, were notable for going against established scientific agreement.
Jeremy Ward, a French researcher and co-author of a comprehensive report on vaccination in France since 2020, suggests that there are numerous concerns regarding trust in health authorities behind the influence of these often extreme media doctors.
Freedom protection
“This movement was primarily focused on safeguarding personal freedoms,” emphasizes Jocelyn Raude, a health psychology researcher.
Protests worldwide against compulsory restrictions and vaccinations showcase this.
The pandemic enabled the anti-vaccine movement to align with the conservative right, elevating some activists to prominent political positions, such as Robert Kennedy Jr.
Donald Trump selected a relative of President John F. Kennedy and former environmental activist to head the U.S. Department of Health.
He achieved success and acknowledgment for being against vaccines as he participated in protests, alleging that covid-19 targeted specific ethnic groups.
The NGO Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) stated that RFK Jr. and his anti-vaccine group Children’s Health Defense, from which he took a temporary break, were among the top twelve spreaders of false information during the pandemic.
An anti-vaccine account that gained momentum during the pandemic has attracted a large audience, potentially in the hundreds of thousands or even millions. This significant following could serve as a powerful foundation for advancing one’s political aspirations, according to Callum Hood, leader of CCDH research.
Social media and anti-establishment sentiments
Social media played a central role in spreading false information about vaccines during the pandemic, according to Noel T. Brewer, a professor at the University of North Carolina School of Public Health and a study author in The Lancet.
Analyzing the impact on public health is challenging.
Some researchers argue that repeated exposure to misinformation may cause individuals to forgo vaccination, while others suggest that the impact of such exposure is minimal as it may only serve to reinforce pre-existing beliefs, according to Jocelyn Raude.
Today, the movement lost some strength due to reduced interest in covid-19, but individuals who became known for spreading misinformation during the pandemic have adapted and persisted.
The accounts now share pro-Russian or doubtful content about climate, according to Laurent Cordonier, a sociologist and research director at the Descartes Foundation.
Touching on seemingly unrelated subjects reveals a strategic aspect and coherence driven by the antisystem, according to the researcher.