YouTube Full Of One-Sided Anti-Vaccination Videos

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YouTube Full Of One-Sided Anti-Vaccination Videos

Editor's Choice award

Main Category: Immune System / Vaccines News

Article Date: 06 Dec 2007 - 12:00 PST

Healthcare Professional: 4 and a half stars

General Public: 4 and a half stars

If you are seeking information about vaccines YouTube may provide you

with some, but much of it will be one-sided, anti-vaccination footage

containing provocative and powerful messages.

Researchers from the University of Toronto and York University, both

in Canada, looked at 153 YouTube videos about vaccination and

immunization. They used the keywords vaccination and immunization.

According to them, over half of the videos published childhood, flu

and HPV vaccines in a negative or ambiguous light. Forty-five of them

contradict recommendations contained in the Canadian Immunization

Guide (2006).

Lead author Keelan, University of Toronto, Department of

Public Health Sciences, said " YouTube is increasingly a resource

people consult for health information, including vaccination. Our

study shows that a significant amount of immunization content on

YouTube contradicts the nation's reference standard. From a public

health perspective, this is very concerning. "

Videos that portray vaccinations in a negative light are getting

significantly more viewing traffic than those that portray them in a

positive light, say the researchers. They added that several of them

contained very provocative and powerful messages.

Co-author, Sayid , University of Toronto's Department of

Medicine, said " Health care professionals need to be aware that

individuals critical of immunization are using YouTube to communicate

their viewpoints and that patients may be obtaining information from

these videos. YouTube users also need to be aware of this, so they can

filter information from the site accordingly. The findings also

indicate that public health officials should consider how to

effectively communicate their viewpoints through Internet video

portals, " said.

" YouTube breeding ground for anti-vaccination views, say researchers "

University of Toronto Website

" YouTube as a Source of Information on Immunization: A Content Analysis "

Keelan, PhD, Vera Pavri-, PhD, Tomlinson, PhD,

Kumanan , MSc, MD

JAMA Vol. 298 No. 21, December 5, 2007

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/90961.php