Forthcoming conferences

A search for ‘vaccine’ on Instagram brought up posts that included messages suggesting that the jabs not only caused autism ‘within hours of vaccination’ but could also cause cancer.

Concern is increasing. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recently stated that ‘vaccine hesitancy’ is one of the ten biggest threats to health worldwide. The Chief Executive of the National Health Service (NHS) in England, Simon Stevens, has publicly expressed his concern about the rise of ‘fake news’ on vaccination which he blames for causing a surge in measles (2018 saw four times as many cases across Europe as occurred the previous year). He drew attention to the role of internet social media sites such as YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram in spreading misinformation on vaccination. For instance, a newspaper investigation found that YouTube searches about vaccination drive users towards misinformation, while a search for ‘vaccine’ on Instagram brought up posts that included messages suggesting that the jabs not only caused autism ‘within hours of vaccination’ but could also cause cancer. Internet sites are beginning to tackle the spread of health misinformation, but the algorithmic changes required will take time to become effective. In the meantime, it is worth exercising caution with respect to information we see on the web, and to remember that it is a largely unedited resource – which brings with it all the dangers that entails.

A useful reference site on the content of the different types of vaccine that are in approved use can be found at: www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/vaccine-ingredients/, while the tragic side of measles infection is poignantly described by Roald Dahl on the death of his daughter Olivia from measles encephalitis aged 7: www.roalddahl.com/roald-dahl/timeline/1960s/ november-1962

Dr Richard Harwood is an education consultant (scientific and international education).

Email: rickharwood@btinternet.com

May 26-31, NAFSA Annual Conference & Expo, Washington DC, US. June 24-27, Canada International Conference on Education (CICE), Mississauga. July 18-21, IB Global Conference, New Orleans, US. September 24-27, EAIE Annual Conference & Exhibition, Helsinki, Finland. September 27-28, ECIS Student Support Conference, Luxembourg. October 10-12, ECIS/AISAP Admissions Conference, Nice, France. October 15-18, Australian International Education Conference, Perth. October 18-20, Alliance for International Education, Geneva, Switzerland. October 24-26, IB Global Conference, Abu Dhabi, UAE.