The Impact of Misinformation on Public Health Initiatives and Perceptions

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic represents both a major global health crisis and an infodemic. The pandemic was characterized by large amounts of misinformation, mostly propagated through social media. This study aimed at investigating the impact of misinformation on public health initiatives and perceptions during the pandemic. The study showed that vaccination was a major public health initiative to manage the pandemic, and the spread of misinformation was associated with increased vaccine hesitancy and lower vaccine uptake. The study also found evidence of socioeconomic and racial differences in the impact of misinformation on vaccine hesitancy. Misinformation was also associated with reduced public trust in either government or public health experts, and this relationship was mediated by political polarization and the politicization of the pandemic. Misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic also had negative implications on the economy, which could potentially reduce the availability of public health funding. Lastly, misinformation had a significant negative impact on the public perception of public health guidelines, which resulted in reduced compliance with them.