Epidemiologia, Vol. 6, Pages 27: Navigating Vaccine Misinformation: Assessing Newly Licensed Physicians’ Ability to Distinguish Facts from Fake News

Epidemiologia doi: 10.3390/epidemiologia6020027

Authors:
Elena Maria Ticozzi
Giovanni Gaetti
Luca Gambolò
Dario Bottignole
Pasquale Di Fronzo
Daniele Solla
Giuseppe Stirparo

Background: Newly licensed physicians play a significant role in healthcare systems. However, they often lack knowledge about vaccine practices. This study aims to evaluate their ability to distinguish between fake news and the actual side effects of vaccines. Methods: We distributed a questionnaire to assess newly licensed physicians’ knowledge of side effects of vaccines and widespread fake news about them. We enrolled 317 newly licensed Italian physicians. Results: The average questionnaire score was 6.21/10 (SD = ±1.25). Work experience and age did not correlate with scores. Conclusions: Many participants were not able to distinguish between fake news and real vaccines’ side effects (e.g., the possible association between varicella vaccine and seizures). Furthermore, many physicians have been shown to believe in fake news. This lack of knowledge could lead to the inability to scientifically respond to anti-vaccinationists, thus increasing mistrust in medical counseling. Addressing knowledge gaps among recently licensed physicians is crucial to improving proper counseling and increasing public adherence to vaccination campaigns.

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Elena Maria Ticozzi www.mdpi.com