“Inoculation” to Resist Misinformation

The global spread of false and misleading information poses serious threats to public health by promoting vaccine hesitancy, non–evidence-based therapies (eg, “natural” remedies), and even the refusal of life-saving medical treatment such as monoclonal antibodies. A prominent response from the medical community has been to debunk false information. This article underscores why preventing the spread of misinformation is often more effective than trying to correct it after it has already spread. This can be done by leveraging “prebunking”—preemptively refuting false information—through psychological inoculation.