Local efforts to address inaccurate health information may be working. For weeks, a social media meme has been circulating, claiming that “if vaccines worked, we wouldn’t have diseases like flu, measles and mumps.” However, the proportion of St. Louisans who believe the claim has dropped for 5 straight weeks.
Among St. Louis adults surveyed, less than 10% have reported hearing the false claim, but of those who heard it, the proportion who believed it has dropped from 100% on October 2nd to 60% on October 30th. Survey respondents are provided with accurate information after answering each survey question, so addressing the false claim seems to be working.
There is strong evidence that vaccines work. They reduce the risk or severity of an illness by training your immune system to fight the illness. Two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine are 97% effective in preventing measles and 88% effective in preventing mumps.
Organizations in St. Louis can build on this momentum and help residents reject false claims by explaining how vaccines work. Simple talking points are available here.
This week’s report is based on responses from a panel of 157 St. Louis City and St. Louis County adult residents who were surveyed from Saturday, October 28, to Monday, October 30, 2023. Explore these data and more at iHeardSTL.
Download the infographics below to share about this topic on social media.
Suggested caption:
The claim that “if vaccines worked, we wouldn’t have diseases like flu, measles and mumps,” has circulated as a meme on social media. That claim is NOT true. Vaccines reduce the risk or severity of an illness by training our immune system to fight the illness.
#iHeardSTL
Suggested caption:
One month ago, 100% of iHeard survey respondents who had heard the false claim “if vaccines worked, we wouldn’t have diseases like measles, mumps and the flu” believed it. Today, only 60% believed it. That’s progress!
#iHeardSTL