Countering Antivax Misinformation Ups Parents’ HPV Vaccine …

Evidence-based messages that counter misinformation and promote HPV vaccination can positively influence parents’ attitudes and intention to vaccinate their children, according to a study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research. Sunny Jung Kim, PhD, and colleagues tested the effectiveness of messages about HPV vaccination via survey responses from 1,043 parents who were randomly assigned to one of six control messages and 25 experimental messages about safety, distrust of the healthcare system, vaccine effectiveness, sexual activity, and misinformation. Parents receiving experimental messages had increased positive attitudes toward HPV vaccination versus those receiving control messages. Positive attitude was associated with increased intention to vaccinate among parents of unvaccinated children aged 9-14. Positive perceptions were achieved by messages that provided scientific evidence from government related sources (eg, the CDC) and corrected misinformation. With the right communication strategies, “we can help break down these barriers” to vaccination, Dr. Kim said in a statement.