Dr. Vivek Murthy called on technology companies to step up the fight against the spread of false information on the Internet.
The chief health officer of the United States, Dr. Vivek Murthy, on Thursday expressed concern about the growing wave of misinformation about COVID-19 and vaccines against this disease.
Murthy called on technology companies to set up algorithms to prevent the spread of false information on the Internet, as well as to share data with researchers and the government to help teachers, medical professionals and the media to combat misinformation.
“Misinformation about health is a serious threat to public health. It can cause confusion, sow distrust, harm people’s health and undermine efforts to protect public health,” Murthy said in a newsletter reported by National Public Radio.
According to Murthy, false information can raise doubts about vaccination against the new coronavirus, which will lead to preventable deaths.
“The lives of Americans are at risk,” he warned in another statement.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of cases of COVID-19 infection in the United States last week increased by about 11 percent compared to the week before last, with the largest increase observed in areas with a vaccination rate of less than 40 percent.
