As charges of childhood vaccination decline and with measles on the rise once more, a KFF Well being Misinformation Monitoring Ballot, fielded in late February, examines the extent to which adults have heard and consider misinformation concerning the measles vaccine. The ballot additionally examines the general public’s views of the U.S. authorities and social media firms’ position in moderating false well being claims on-line.
Whereas many of the public—together with dad and mom—haven’t heard misinformation concerning the measles vaccine, many are unsure concerning the validity of 1 particular false declare. About one in 5 adults (18%, together with 19% of fogeys of kids beneath age 18) say they’ve heard or learn the declare, “Getting the measles vaccine is extra harmful than changing into contaminated with measles.”
A comparatively small share leans in direction of believing the declare is true. No matter whether or not they have heard the declare, a fifth of adults (19%), together with one quarter of fogeys (25%), say the declare is “positively” or “in all probability” true. Six p.c of U.S. adults—together with about one in ten (9%) dad and mom—say they’ve heard the declare and suppose it’s in all probability or positively true.
Throughout partisans, ranges of academic attainment, and race and ethnicity, fewer than 5 p.c of adults say that the declare is “positively true,” which means that there are few ardent believers on this piece of misinformation. Nevertheless, independents (37%) and Republicans (21%) are much less possible than Democrats (59%) to make sure that the declare is “positively false.” These and not using a faculty diploma (29%) are additionally much less more likely to say that the declare is fake than these with a school diploma (55%).
Massive Shares Assist Social Media Corporations in Limiting Well being Misinformation on the Expense of Sure Freedoms
Later this March, the Supreme Courtroom will hear arguments in three necessary instances associated to misinformation on social media that can have implications for the way the U.S. authorities and social media firms work together with customers and may average info.
Two-thirds (68%) of the general public views the unfold of well being misinformation on social media as an even bigger drawback than censorship of speech on social media platforms (31%). This sentiment is in flip mirrored in opinions about what sort of motion social media firms ought to take to curb the unfold of false well being claims.
Massive shares of the general public assist social media firms in tamping down on misinformation even on the expense of sure freedoms. About two-thirds (66%) of adults general say, “Social media firms ought to limit false well being info, even when it limits folks from freely publishing or accessing info,” whereas one-third as an alternative say “Individuals’s freedom to publish and entry well being info ought to be protected, even when it means false info may also be printed.”
The general public is extra divided about whether or not the U.S. authorities ought to take motion. Practically six in ten adults general (57%) say, “The U.S. authorities ought to require social media firms to take steps to limit false well being info, even when it limits folks from freely publishing or accessing info,” whereas about 4 in ten (42%) say “Individuals’s freedom to publish and entry well being info ought to be protected, even when it means false info may also be printed.”
There are partisan divisions on each these questions, with Democrats extra possible than independents or Republicans to favor each the federal government and social media firms taking motion to limit false well being info. Notably, nevertheless, majorities of Democrats (82%), independents (57%), and Republicans (56%) say that social media firms ought to take steps to limit well being misinformation even when it limits sure freedoms.
The Well being Misinformation Monitoring Ballot is a part of a brand new KFF program space targeted on figuring out and monitoring well being misinformation and belief in the USA, emphasizing communities which can be most adversely affected by misinformation, together with folks of shade, immigrants, and rural communities.
Designed and analyzed by public opinion researchers at KFF, the ballot was performed from February 20-28, 2024, on-line and by phone amongst a nationally consultant pattern of 1,316 U.S. adults together with 283 dad and mom. Interviews have been performed in English and in Spanish. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3 share factors for the total pattern and seven share factors for the pattern of fogeys. For outcomes based mostly on different subgroups, the margin of sampling error could also be increased.