Talking about vaccines with trusted health care providers and with family can help wade through the sea of information – and misinformation.
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With COVID-19 shots finally available for infants and preschoolers, knowing how to combat misinformation on social media and elsewhere could be more important than ever.
Katie Attwell, The University of Western Australia y Tauel Harper, The University of Western Australia
Contrary to the popular belief that social media creates rumours about COVID vaccine harms, new research suggests social media generally only aids the spread of these rumours.
With the holiday season approaching, people wait to receive a COVID-19 vaccination in Montréal as the pandemic continues in Canada and around the world.
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A panel of experts answer questions about vaccines, omicron and other COVID-related issues in a discussion with The Conversation.
Health care providers are just one trusted source of information for parents on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines for children.
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Pediatricians and other health care providers can take some concrete steps toward building trust and counteracting anti-vaccination misinformation.
Vaccine hesitancy has been a growing challenge for more than a decade. Concerns about vaccine safety and adverse events are the most commonly cited reasons.
(AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
To help increase trust in vaccines, researchers analyzed data on adverse events to address safety concerns, and then used cognitive science to show how cognitive biases feed vaccine hesitancy.
A survey found almost a quarter of participants thought they could not receive a vaccine because of medical conditions. But only 28.9% of this group actually meet the criteria set by health agencies.
Many people are unsure if their condition qualifies as an underlying medical condition. They may not realise they’re already eligible for the COVID vaccine.
A serious event such as a blood clot could be caused by an underlying medical condition, a medication the person was taking at the time, or some other factor unrelated to the vaccine.
Both the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are now being investigated for links to rare blood disorders.
Capillaries are the body’s smallest blood vessels, and allow oxygen, nutrients and waste products to be delivered and removed from tissues.
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Tinglong Dai, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing
Vaccine manufacturing is complex, with lots of potential points for errors. But it also has extensive quality control checks and approvals.
A sign shows the way to a recovery area to monitor any immediate side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 17, 2020, in Reno, Nevada.
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Many people never experience the least bit of discomfort from the COVID-19 vaccines, but mild side effects are common. They include swelling in the affected arm, nausea and chills.
New mRNA vaccines use genes from the coronavirus to produce immunity.
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So far, most vaccines in the US are mRNA vaccines. These represent a new technology and are likely to take over the vaccine world. But how do they work? What are their weaknesses? Five experts explain.
An unidentified doctor talks with a boy who holds a lollipop reward after participating in a measles vaccine research program in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, in 1963.
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Vaccination has been controversial from its beginning. Gaining people’s trust in vaccines has been crucial. An important part of that is a strong communications plan.
Paediatrician at the Royal Childrens Hospital and Associate Professor and Clinician Scientist, University of Melbourne and MCRI, Murdoch Children's Research Institute