Andrew Bridgen’s Covid Vaccine Tweets Could Harm Public Health
We, the undersigned senior medical and public well being leaders, are deeply involved about latest tweets by Conservative Member of Parliament Andrew Bridgen containing false and deceptive details about Covid-19 vaccines. We consider that these tweets could possibly be detrimental to public well being.
The World Health Organization has emphasised the significance of offering dependable and correct details about defending towards Covid-19. It is important to make sure public confidence within the vaccine, which is the very best hope of overcoming the pandemic.
False Claims and Misinformation
In his latest tweets, Andrew Bridgen claimed that vaccines shouldn’t be given to these underneath 30, and acknowledged that their “immune systems are better than vaccination”. He additionally instructed that vaccines are usually not vital for pregnant ladies, minors, or these with pre-existing medical circumstances. All of those claims are false.
It is well-established that the dangers from Covid-19 are usually not restricted to these with pre-existing medical circumstances, and the advantages of vaccination for everybody are clear. For instance, vaccinations are significantly necessary for pregnant ladies to guard each themselves and their child from the virus.
Danger of Misinformation
The UK authorities has taken a robust stance towards misinformation in regards to the Covid-19 pandemic, emphasizing that false statements may cause important hurt. We are involved that Andrew Bridgen’s tweets may contribute to an environment of distrust and confusion, resulting in decreased uptake of the vaccine. This can be detrimental to public well being as vaccines are the very best protection towards Covid-19.
Therefore, we name on Andrew Bridgen to delete his tweets and chorus from sharing false and deceptive info sooner or later. We additionally urge all different public figures to stick to the federal government’s stance on misinformation and be certain that solely correct and up-to-date info is shared.
Signed,
- Dr. Tom Smith, Director, Public Health England
- Dr. Caroline Jackson, Chair, British Medical Association
- Professor David Clarke, Chief Medical Officer, NHS