Most of the false rumors about vaccinations dissolve the same group of people – the so-called “dozen disinformation”, which includes prominent figures opposing vaccination. Specialists of the non-profit center against digital hatred (CCDH) and Anti-VAX Watch organizations came to this conclusion. Some of the activists were blocked on social networks, but others continue campaigns to discredit vaccines. This is reported by the Edition of Science Alert.
Researchers analyzed 812 thousand messages published in Facebook and Twitter from February 1 to March 16, 2021. They found that only 13 people who founded their own non-profit organizations are sources of 65 percent of propaganda aimed at discrediting vaccines. These people have no appropriate medical education, but have means allowing them to spread lies about vaccinations.
Anti-vocational activists have a general audience, which includes more than 95 million subscribers. In the “Dozen disinformation” includes osteopaths Joseph Mercol and Rashid Boattar, lawyer and radio hosts Robert Francis Kennedy Jr., the former bodybuilder Tai Bullinger and his wife Charlein, Osteophak Sherry Tenpennie, Activist “Nation Islam” Rizza Islam, Beautyer Erin Elizabeth, Supporters Alternative medicine Seyer Ji, Kelly Brogan and Christian Northrop, Chiropractic Bain Tapper and Activist Kevin Jenkins, who said that vaccines are needed for “destruction of black”.
The influence of the group varies depending on the social platform: in Twitter, they cover 17 percent of tweets about the dangers of vaccines, and on Facebook – 73 percent of the content. According to researchers, social network owners must take measures to prevent disinformation, because, ultimately, it leads to the death of thousands of people due to a pandemic.