Dan
2013-05-31 15:49:06 UTC
http://skep.li/143ajWs
MALCOLM HOLLAND From: The Daily Telegraph May 16, 2013 12:00AM
SPURIOUS and unscientific claims about the dangers of vaccines can now
be tracked as soon as they appear on social media.
British and American scientists have developed a computerised monitoring
system that alerts experts to rumours being spread, outright lies and
misinformation about vaccinations in 144 countries, including Australia.
"Recent measles outbreaks in the UK, stemming from children not
vaccinated due to fears prompted by now-discredited research over a
decade ago, is one example of the long-term consequences of broken
public trust in vaccines," said Heidi Larson, from the London School of
Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.
Join our #NoJabNoPlay campaign and sign our vaccination petition to make
yourself heard
"The internet has speeded up the global spread of unchecked rumours and
misinformation about vaccines and can seriously undermine public
confidence, leading to low rates of vaccine uptake and even disease
outbreaks."
Dr Larson said the new application builds on the ability of the
HealthMap, an online surveillance resource that detects and maps early
signs of outbreaks from electronic data sources.
The researchers devised a system to identify the types of concerns found
on electronic media and prioritise reports according to their potential
to disrupt vaccine uptake.
Of the negative reports, almost half were associated with the health
impacts of vaccines and people's beliefs, either associated with
religion or ideas about the supposed risks.
Join our #NoJabNoPlay campaign and sign our vaccination petition to make
yourself heard http://skep.li/19tj9Pw
MALCOLM HOLLAND From: The Daily Telegraph May 16, 2013 12:00AM
SPURIOUS and unscientific claims about the dangers of vaccines can now
be tracked as soon as they appear on social media.
British and American scientists have developed a computerised monitoring
system that alerts experts to rumours being spread, outright lies and
misinformation about vaccinations in 144 countries, including Australia.
"Recent measles outbreaks in the UK, stemming from children not
vaccinated due to fears prompted by now-discredited research over a
decade ago, is one example of the long-term consequences of broken
public trust in vaccines," said Heidi Larson, from the London School of
Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.
Join our #NoJabNoPlay campaign and sign our vaccination petition to make
yourself heard
"The internet has speeded up the global spread of unchecked rumours and
misinformation about vaccines and can seriously undermine public
confidence, leading to low rates of vaccine uptake and even disease
outbreaks."
Dr Larson said the new application builds on the ability of the
HealthMap, an online surveillance resource that detects and maps early
signs of outbreaks from electronic data sources.
The researchers devised a system to identify the types of concerns found
on electronic media and prioritise reports according to their potential
to disrupt vaccine uptake.
Of the negative reports, almost half were associated with the health
impacts of vaccines and people's beliefs, either associated with
religion or ideas about the supposed risks.
Join our #NoJabNoPlay campaign and sign our vaccination petition to make
yourself heard http://skep.li/19tj9Pw