In an interview with CNN the director of the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa), Antônio Barra Torres, warned about the impact of fake news on the country’s vaccination coverage.
About to leave office, Torres reflected on his management during the pandemic and the challenges faced in combating misinformation.
According to the president of Anvisa, Brazil, which previously maintained vaccination acceptance rates above 90%, is now approaching just 70%.
According to him, this significant drop is mainly attributed to the spread of false information and anti-vaccine campaigns on social media.
The global impact of disinformation
Torres highlighted that the phenomenon of disinformation was not limited to Brazil, affecting several countries around the world.
However, he considers that Brazil was particularly hit, given its historically high adherence to vaccination campaigns.
“The harm that lies spread over the internet, fake news, anti-vaccine movements, the harm that these groups have caused, will still require very intense, very firm action from governments,” stated the director of Anvisa.
Torres emphasized the need for continuous and robust efforts to reverse this trend and restore the population’s confidence in vaccines.
The challenge of recovery
To resume high rates of vaccination coverage, Torres indicated that hard, coordinated work will be required between different spheres of government and society.
He reiterated the crucial importance of vaccines to public health, emphatically declaring: “Vaccines save lives.”
According to the director, the challenge now is not only to develop effective vaccines, but also to ensure that the population trusts and adopts the necessary preventive measures to control preventable diseases.
This content was originally published in “Fake news harmed vaccination coverage”, says president of Anvisa on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
I am an experienced journalist and writer with a career in the news industry. My focus is on covering Top News stories for World Stock Market, where I provide comprehensive analysis and commentary on markets around the world. I have expertise in writing both long-form articles and shorter pieces that deliver timely, relevant updates to readers.
