💌📣Our new Disinfo Update is out now!
The final edition of 2025 examines how the global information space is being reshaped by evolving state-backed influence operations, persistent platform integrity failures, and growing political battles over truth, free speech, and regulation.

This issue covers Russian and Chinese disinformation campaigns across multiple regions, the role of tech platforms in amplifying misinformation, climate and crisis-related falsehoods, and early signals from DSA enforcement. As we head into 2026, it highlights why long-term resilience, accountability, and coordinated action are critical for democratic information spaces.

👉Read the full edition: https://lnkd.in/evGwGAUP

"Over the holiday period, The Guardian leader column is looking ahead at the themes of 2026. Today we examine how the White House’s war on vaccines has left the future of a key technology uncertain and up for grabs."

Just look at the image to understand the real implications of the MAHA policies. We're getting to a similar situation as in Samoa (2019), with 83 deaths compared to zero in 2017. And other once gone diseases are coming back too.

Lies have real consequences. Don't fall victim for antivaxx propaganda, get your vaccines. | 10 comments on LinkedIn

In the new year, help us further our mission to eliminate vaccine-preventable deaths and expand vaccine access to everyone, everywhere.

Give today ⤵️
https://lnkd.in/eFKxu8rU

The Era of Fake News: Students’ Exposure, Media Literacy, and Responses (Journal of Education, Management and Development Studies):

https://lnkd.in/deaaNZ2e

Glimpse: This study examines how senior high school students in Mangaldan National High School's Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) track acquire media literacy and critical thinking skills in the face of growing misinformation exposure. Even though media literacy is included in the national curriculum, research shows that pupils' capacity to assess and refute misleading material is seriously lacking. The study distinguishes between misinformation, disinformation, and fake news and emphasizes how online personalities and AI-driven algorithms shape public conversation. The findings indicate that media literacy and critical thinking training must be strengthened immediately, with implications for improving quality education (SDG 4) and bolstering robust, knowledgeable institutions (SDG 16).

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Free articles and analyses on soft counter-extremism, against online hate, and on the theory of mis-/disinformation (usually third-party content). Two-week reviews available via the following three websites:
• counter-terrorism.org
• preventhate.org
• strategism.org

The most recent LinkedIn posts, with summaries, on the above subjects can be accessed via:
• https://lnkd.in/eBarZAew

#policyinstitutenet #preventradicalization #preventextremism 
#counterextremism #preventhate #disinformation #misinformation

A post not to create fear ? No… simply another post of misinformation…

Fuel for Fake News: Emotion and Partisan Bias in the Processing of Political Misinformation (University of Oklahoma):

https://lnkd.in/d7d9-DSt

Glimpse: This dissertation investigates how people's reactions to political misinformation are influenced by three distinct emotions: wrath, fear, and joy. The study examines how emotions impact political claim evaluation accuracy, decision time, confidence, skepticism toward correct statements, and readiness to communicate verified information. It builds on research on emotional influences, belief congruence, and affective polarization. The results demonstrate that fear consistently lowers desire to communicate information deemed true, regardless of partisan emotional polarization, using a U.S. adult sample (N = 600). On the other hand, among highly polarized people, anger increases confidence and sharing intentions, whereas among those with low polarization, it decreases both outcomes. Reduced accuracy in separating fact from fiction is also predicted by greater alignment between misinformation and prior ideas. The findings demonstrate how partisan and emotional factors work together to affect people's vulnerability to political disinformation and the spread of political content.

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Free articles and analyses on soft counter-extremism, against online hate, and on the theory of mis-/disinformation (usually third-party content). Two-week reviews available via the following three websites:
• counter-terrorism.org
• preventhate.org
• strategism.org

The most recent LinkedIn posts, with summaries, on the above subjects can be accessed via:
• https://lnkd.in/eBarZAew

#policyinstitutenet #preventradicalization #preventextremism 
#counterextremism #preventhate #disinformation #misinformation

📢 Just published: We examined COVID-19 vaccination intention among Senior High School students in the Jasikan Municipality of Ghana in 2022 using a unified framework combining the Health Belief Model and the Theory of Planned Behaviour.

We found that six in ten students intended to vaccinate, with intention driven by prior COVID-19 experience, adherence to social distancing, attitudes, subjective norms, and self-efficacy. These findings informed school-based risk communication and demand-generation activities and contributed to achieving at least 90% vaccination coverage during the HPV catch-up campaign in October 2025 in the municipality.

🔗 Link: https://lnkd.in/d2Rd6MMP

YEAR ONE MAHA

I posted a few weeks ago about the research of Prof Michael Edelstein, public health specialist and epidemiologist at Bar-Ilan University, that examined vaccine hesitancy among parents which resulted from a lack of trust in the system after the Covid pandemic, and how this is contributing to the current measles outbreak.

Prof Edelstein and peers surveyed over 2,000 parents in the UK and Israel who had children born both before and after Covid, and examined how their attitudes towards vaccinations changed, affecting routine childhood vaccinations such as the MMR.

Unfortunately a small drop in vaccination rates in a region (as well as delaying immunizations or only getting one dose) can lead to severe consequences—a dozen toddlers have died in Israel in the latest outbreak.

Prof Edelstein highlights how part of the issue was in the way science was communicated during the pandemic. While it was a novel virus, and therefore no one had exact data on how it would behave, decisions that were made by public health professionals (based on years of expertise and available data) were communicated in a way of certainty rather than transparency, thus contributing to an erosion of trust when decisions were subsequently modified or reversed, or proven to be not as important as they were initially presented as.

Shifra Jacobs sat down with Prof Edelstein to discuss this all for The Jerusalem Post podcast.

As both a communications professional and someone who finds difficulty in seeing lifesaving, proven vaccines being rejected by some, this study and podcast was an especially interesting listen.

See full episode here: https://lnkd.in/dnbtV-Za
Or find it on your usual podcast players.
| 24 comments on LinkedIn

Did you know that by age 24-26, a projected 33% of adults who received the MMR vaccine are susceptible to clinical infection with measles virus?

Stay informed about vaccines and make informed decisions about your health. Learn more: picdata.org/measles

#vaccines

Yet another large study confirming the benefits of the mRNA vaccines. Compare this to a "case report" or short term studies in a few patients that are often used by antivaxxers to claim damages.

(All edits are due to my inability to type well on my cell phone!)

3 études citées dans cet article à rapprocher de la pratique d'euthanasie passive appliquée par beaucoup de soignants hautement diplomés en immunologie et très antivax dans les ehpad: 😊
1) Près de 4 % des décès par infarctus du myocarde chez les adultes de 50 ans et plus peuvent être attribués à la grippe.
2) Le risque de faire une crise cardiaque augmente par six dans la semaine suivant une infection grippale confirmée.
3) Environ une personne sur huit hospitalisé pour une grippe: a présenté un événement cardiovasculaire aigu.

Fantastic to hear the government intends a long-over-due focus on children’s health, including re vaccination. Best news of the year! An example is this initiative to equip health visitors to vaccinate underserved children. Lets be optimistic!
UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health Institute of Health Visiting (iHV) Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) Sally Kendall MBE Tracey Chantler Ben Kasstan-Dabush

My in depth 10 minute interview with Here & Now’s Robin Young NPR WBUR on the collapse of our vaccine ecosystem in America

It would appear that the word of a conspiratorial far-right so-called "influencer ' now serves as actual evidence.

And what a surprise, there's $$$ & grift involved:

"Nick Shirley, suddenly in the national spotlight, has expressed concerns about his safety and is asking supporters to donate to his security, including by selling $50 sweatshirts on his website. "

3 Things That Stood Out About Health Literacy in 2025

1. Organizations can have a major impact.
This year reinforced how much systems shape people’s ability to find and understand information. When materials, processes, and communication channels are clear, people can use information with more confidence.

2. AI can support communication — but it can’t replace people.
We saw that AI can support communication work, but it cannot replace the context, judgment, and lived experience people bring to designing clear messages. AI is a tool, not a substitute for thoughtful human work.

3. Building health literacy skills across all roles matters.
Teams at every level benefit from knowing how to share information clearly. This continues to be a priority for improving understanding and reducing confusion.

We’re excited to carry these lessons into 2026.

The Australian CDC starts today – so here’s the simplest way to understand what we do.
👉We track diseases.
👉We spot early warning signs.
👉We explain what’s happening in plain language.
👉We provide clear, calm public health advice.
👉We help governments respond quickly and confidently.
Public health is complex. Clarity shouldn’t be.
Follow us for insights into how Australia stays safe and prepared. Learn more about who we are at www.cdc.gov.au
#AustralianCDC #PublicHealth #DiseasePrevention #DiseaseSurveillance #HealthSystem | 18 comments on LinkedIn

Last year at this time, my mom pointed out an article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about low vaccination rates by county in Missouri.

Since I cover the anti-vaccine movement for The Washington Post, I decided we should take a look at these numbers across the country and teamed up with Caitlin Gilbert, Ph.D., my go-to, incredible data reporting partner. We embarked on a year-long dig that resulted in our investigation today.

We found that only about a quarter of the counties in the U.S. have herd immunity in kindergartners for measles after reaching out to every state for school and county vaccination records.

Use our novel lookup tool to see what your local vaccination rates are in your area. There is not a single county in Idaho, Louisiana, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah or Wisconsin whose kindergarten rates meet herd immunity protection.

https://lnkd.in/gWAzWDKf