How the Anti-Vaccine Movement Spreads Doubt and Mistrust

How the Anti-Vaccine Movement Sows Doubt

The anti-vaccine movement is not just about COVID-19—it is a coordinated strategy to weaken trust in vaccines and in science itself. In my new essay for Psychology Today, I revisit a 2020 report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate that revealed the playbook anti-vaccine advocates continue to use today.

The report showed how vaccine opponents spread their message through three pillars:

1. Downplaying the danger of infections.
2. Exaggerating the risks of vaccines.
3. Undermining the credibility of vaccine advocates.

These tactics remain central today, fueling confusion about measles, whooping cough, and other vaccine-preventable diseases now resurging in the U.S.

As I argue in my piece, the most effective response lies in telling our own stories—why we vaccinate, how vaccines protect our families, and what we’ve witnessed when people suffer from preventable diseases. And when confronting misinformation, it’s more effective to engage privately and directly than to amplify anti-vaccine voices online.

📖 Read the full essay here:
👉 How the Anti-Vaccine Movement Spreads Doubt and Mistrust