Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Vaccine disinformation has become a serious global health challenge. False claims spread rapidly across borders, undermining trust in immunization and reversing progress in disease prevention. Digital platforms, political polarization, and declining confidence in public institutions have created environments where misinformation thrives. These dynamics affect high-, middle-, and low-income countries alike.
This session examines how this disinformation networks grow and why they are so influential. Speakers discuss the ways in which misleading narratives spread internationally and how they weaken public confidence in vaccines. They highlight the global consequences of politically driven discourse, viral content on social media, and the erosion of trust in health authorities. Evidence from recent UNICEF reports shows how online narratives can directly reduce vaccine uptake in communities around the world.
The discussion focuses on strategies to rebuild trust and strengthen evidence-based immunization efforts. Speakers explore coordinated approaches involving governments, global institutions, researchers, and communities. The session aims to identify concrete actions that protect public health by improving communication, countering misinformation, and supporting resilient vaccination programs.
Contributions come from Yik Ying Teo (NUS), Heidi Larson (LSHTM / The Vaccine Confidence Project), Benjamin Schreiber (UNICEF), Karla Soares-Weiser (Cochrane), and Mohamed Yakub Janabi (WHO Africa). Their perspectives highlight the importance of collaboration and clear communication to safeguard global immunization efforts.
The World Health Summit is the leading global platform bringing together science, politics, civil society, and the private sector to catalyze collaborative and innovative solutions for key health priorities. Learn more at www.worldhealthsummit.org.
Vaccine disinformation has become a serious global health challenge. False claims spread rapidly across borders, undermining trust in immunization and reversing progress in disease prevention. Digital platforms, political polarization, and declining confidence in public institutions have created environments where misinformation thrives. These dynamics affect high-, middle-, and low-income countries alike.
This session examines how this disinformation networks grow and why they are so influential. Speakers discuss the ways in which misleading narratives spread internationally and how they weaken public confidence in vaccines. They highlight the global consequences of politically driven discourse, viral content on social media, and the erosion of trust in health authorities. Evidence from recent UNICEF reports shows how online narratives can directly reduce vaccine uptake in communities around the world.
The discussion focuses on strategies to rebuild trust and strengthen evidence-based immunization efforts. Speakers explore coordinated approaches involving governments, global institutions, researchers, and communities. The session aims to identify concrete actions that protect public health by improving communication, countering misinformation, and supporting resilient vaccination programs.
Contributions come from Yik Ying Teo (NUS), Heidi Larson (LSHTM / The Vaccine Confidence Project), Benjamin Schreiber (UNICEF), Karla Soares-Weiser (Cochrane), and Mohamed Yakub Janabi (WHO Africa). Their perspectives highlight the importance of collaboration and clear communication to safeguard global immunization efforts.
The World Health Summit is the leading global platform bringing together science, politics, civil society, and the private sector to catalyze collaborative and innovative solutions for key health priorities. Learn more at www.worldhealthsummit.org.
