Due to the growing spread of misinformation and disinformation about vaccines, O'Brien considered it essential that religious, social, or political leaders disseminate "accurate information that represents the truth about vaccines." "It is very clear that the trajectory will be to go backwards in the prevention of deadly diseases, despite the fact that science offers the tools to prevent it through immunization, lamented O'Brien. O'Brien also appealed to the responsibility of local governments and asked them to use the best available evidence and scientific information to guide their policies and programs to protect the population's health. In turn, WHO immunization expert Diana Chang clarified that another barrier to immunization is access to certain populations. "We have a serious problem when these aspects are politicized," she warned. Half of the children who have not even received the first dose of the DTP vaccine (against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis) live in countries affected by conflict, Chang indicated. The number of measles cases, 800,000 more than in 2019, and the inability to eradicate polio by 2025 are also a consequence of this lack of trust in a certain sector of the population, added O'Brien. "The erosion of trust in vaccines is one of the causes of diphtheria outbreaks and the reason why we will see more cases of pneumonia and meningitis," warned the Director of the Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals at the World Health Organization (WHO), Kate O'Brien, at a press conference."
WHO Head Warns of Eroding Vaccine Trust
WHO's immunization chief Kate O'Brien stated that the spread of vaccine misinformation leads to deadly disease outbreaks. She called on leaders and governments to use accurate scientific data.
