Anti-vaxxers are up in arms about negative media coverage of their cause. Considering the timing, this is a little surprising: measles, a potentially life-threatening disease especially for unvaccinated babies or people with suppressed immune systems, is on the rise, thanks to anti-vaccination scare tactics. Despite scientific evidence to the contrary, anti-vaxxers continue to perpetuate the idea that vaccines do more harm than good.
In February, a measles outbreak in B.C. infected 17 people. This month, whooping cough in Moncton has infected five at a high school and an infant and an adult in Toronto were diagnosed with measles.
And yet the anti-vaxxers are complaining.
Perhaps it is because Health Reporter Carly Weeks has been writing so much science-based news on the topic, including Facebook’s plan to stop the spread of anti-vaccine misinformation.
Continue reading this story on the Globe and Mail website, where it first appeared.
Sylvia Stead is the Public Editor of the Globe and Mail.
Globe and Mail Public Editor: No need to offer ‘false balance’ to anti-vaxxers
Mar
2019
Anti-vaxxers are up in arms about negative media coverage of their cause. Considering the timing, this is a little surprising: measles, a potentially life-threatening disease especially for unvaccinated babies or people with suppressed immune systems, is on the rise, thanks to anti-vaccination scare tactics. Despite scientific evidence to the contrary, anti-vaxxers continue to perpetuate the idea that vaccines do more harm than good.
In February, a measles outbreak in B.C. infected 17 people. This month, whooping cough in Moncton has infected five at a high school and an infant and an adult in Toronto were diagnosed with measles.
And yet the anti-vaxxers are complaining.
Perhaps it is because Health Reporter Carly Weeks has been writing so much science-based news on the topic, including Facebook’s plan to stop the spread of anti-vaccine misinformation.
Continue reading this story on the Globe and Mail website, where it first appeared.
Sylvia Stead
Sylvia Stead is the Public Editor of the Globe and Mail.
Tags
Public Editor Globe and Mail Sylvia SteadThe Author
Sylvia Stead
You Might Also Like
Toronto Star Public Editor: Readers still care about language use
Read MoreToronto Star Public Editor: The facts about fake news
Read More