Collateral damage from debunking mRNA vaccine misinformation.

ABSTRACT: Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the scientific community has been understandably eager to combat misinformation about issues such as vaccine safety. In highly polarized information environments, however, even well-intentioned messages have the potential to produce adverse effects. In this study, we connect different disciplinary strands of social science to derive and experimentally test the novel hypothesis that although particular efforts to debunk misinformation about mRNA vaccines will reduce relevant misperceptions about that technology, these correctives will harm attitudes toward other types of vaccines. We refer to this as the "collateral damage hypothesis." Our study specifically examines a corrective message stating that "mRNA vaccines do not contain live virus," and our results offe

SUBMITTER: Krause NM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9858741 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature