How can government combat misinformation around the COVID-19 vaccine?

Conspiracy theories have been rife throughout the pandemic, from suggestions that the virus is caused by 5G technology through to ideas that vaccinations will implant chips into our arms. But what does this mean for vaccination rollout?

Panellists

  • Dorothy Byrne, Editor-At-Large, Channel Four (Chair)
  • James Ball, Journalist and Author 
  • Dr Halima Begum, Chief Executive of The Runnymede Trust
  • Peter Knight, Professor of American Studies at The University of Manchester and Chair of the Comparative Analysis of Conspiracy Theories network
  • Julian Knight MP, Chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee and the Sub-committee on Online Harms and Disinformation


Conspiracy theories have been rife throughout the pandemic, from suggestions that the virus is caused by 5G technology through to ideas that vaccinations will implant chips into our arms. But what does this mean for vaccination rollout? How many people will refuse to have the vaccine based on conspiracy theories and misinformation? And how can the government combat this misinformation and encourage mass vaccination?

 

This event was recorded on 4 March 2021.