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Buhari advocates media literacy to fight fake news

Nurudeen Akewushola
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Buhari advocates media literacy to fight fake news

NIGERIA’s President, Muhammadu Buhari, has called on all nations, multilateral and donor agencies to support global financing of Media and Information Literacy (MIL) to curb the spread of misinformation and disinformation.

Buhari, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Ibrahim Gambari, made this remark at the high-level opening session of the Global Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Week 2022 with the theme: “Nurturing Trust, a Media and Information Literacy Imperative”.

The president noted that fake news had been weaponized to aggravate conflicts and crises, exacerbate insecurity, distort government efforts, fuel apprehension among the citizens and create distrust between the governments and their people.

READ: Did ex-Nigerian president Buhari admit that cabals hijacked his government?

Buhari said it was evident in Nigerian societies that getting reliable information is a constant battle, adding that media practitioners and stakeholders within the sector face the clear and present danger of misinformation.

The president stressed the need for stakeholders to unite to defend freedom of speech and continue working for a common standard that balances rights with responsibilities.

Buhari said the hosting of this year’s event had amplified the commitment of the Nigerian government to the continued implementation of the United Nations General Assembly’s resolution on media and information literacy, which called on countries around the world to develop and implement policies, actions and strategies related to the promotion of media and information literacy.

“The theme of this year’s Global MIL Week focuses on the use of MIL to address a fundamental element of human and national development, which seems to be waning in most societies of the world. Trust is a key ingredient of democracy and good governance. Without trust, our avowed pledge to deliver on our promises as leaders will be impeded by the lack of commitment from the governed.

“As it is evident in our societies, getting reliable information is a constant battle. Media practitioners and stakeholders within the sector face the clear and present danger of misinformation. Misinformation has been used to aggravate conflicts and crisis, exacerbate insecurity, distort government efforts, fuel apprehension among the citizens and create distrust between the governments and their peoples,” Buhari said.

He also pointed out the potency of social media to mould, shape, and form an opinion, noting that 59 per cent of the world population uses social media, representing three out of every five people on earth. In contrast, about 100 million of Nigeria’s 220 million people are internet users.

He stressed that technology and social media offered the country limitless opportunities, which must be harnessed, especially by the youth, to strengthen the foundations of the society and its common values.

ALSO READ: Fact-checked: A look at some of Buhari’s claims during his 8 years reign as Nigeria’s president

“However, in confronting challenges of rising misinformation and hate speech, we must also come together to defend freedom of speech, whilst upholding other values that we cherish.

“We must continue to work for a common standard that balances rights with responsibilities to keep the most vulnerable from harm and help strengthen and enrich our communities and, most importantly, strengthen trust and social cohesion by improving critical thinking competencies to adequately assess the quality of the information received and shared which I believe is a key component of the MIL programme this week,” he added.

Google announces initiatives to help curb misinformation, improve media literacy in Africa

Raji Olatunji
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Google announces initiatives to help curb misinformation, improve media literacy in Africa

GOOGLE has announced additional initiatives through the Google News Initiative (GIS) to support African journalists and fact-checking organisations to advance media literacy in the continent.

This is coming amid growing concerns over widespread misinformation online.

A statement issued by the Head of Communications & Public Affairs, Google Africa, Dorothy Ooko, said that 72% of people surveyed in Kenya and Nigeria expressed concern about being exposed to false and misleading information.

READ: IFCN announces application for ENGAGE phase of the Google’s Global Fact Check Fund

“The interconnectedness of the spread of news and information today calls for each of us to play a role in advocating for media literacy.

“Our work at Google supports both journalists and fact-checking organisations who are doing the work to fight misinformation, and we help to create products and tools to help news consumers around the world better understand what they are seeing online,” part of the statement read.

The technology company said the new initiatives would help journalists and publishers to navigate the challenges and opportunities of what it called changing news habits.

It cited the “About this Result” as one of the product features in which it has invested in the fight against the spread of misinformation online.

About this Result is a feature in Search which provides critical context on a result before users visit the page.

The feature provides all information that can provide important context, including how widely a source is circulated, and whether another entity owns a company.

Google said it is working with media lab Fathm in the UK and publishers, including The Daily Maverick in South Africa, Premium Times in Nigeria, and The Standard Group in Kenya, to trial an entirely new way of delivering news to people across the continent.

This pilot of ‘direct publishing’ is believed to help innovative news outlets create interactive stories combining images, video and text- and publishing them directly to users within the Android Messages app.

The trial is said to use Android’s Rich Communication Service (RCS) to deliver news in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.

The tech giant is also working with fact-checking organisations, including Africa Check, and Dubawa, among others to equip journalists across Africa with the digital skills to find, verify and tell news stories online.

“The trainers from this program will go on to support journalists working in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Angola, providing guidance on fact-checking, verification tools and techniques.

“Dubawa will train 500 journalists in Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and The Gambia with support from the GNI,” said Ooko.

Ooko further stated that Google would be supporting the ‘Africa Facts’ conference in November in Nairobi.

ALSO READ: Misinformation: Google to improve search snippets using machine learning software

She said, “we want to help connect ideas and expert practitioners, and further strengthen fact-checking across the continent.”

She added, “These new initiatives build on the media literacy training programme, WebRangers, that we facilitate with Media Monitoring Africa, focused on training teens in South Africa on how to identify and report misinformation.

“We believe the future of news across Africa is bright, and support for it is critical. We are eager to continue finding ways to connect people to relevant and quality news across the region.”

Claim that Obi said he pulled 439 million people out of poverty is FALSE

Nurudeen Akewushola
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Claim that Obi said he pulled 439 million people out of poverty is FALSE

A viral video has surfaced online alongside a claim that the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, said he pulled 439 million people out of poverty when he was the governor of Anambra State.

The video circulates on social media following Obi’s presentation at an interactive session organised by the Arewa Joint Committee in Kaduna on Monday, October 17, 2022.

READ: How accurate is Obi’s claim on Nigeria’s public debt profile?

A Twitter user, @AdeBashh tweeted the video (now deleted) with the caption that read:

“In his usual ways of making false claim and lying effortlessly. Peter Obi is here again claiming he pulled 439million people out of poverty.” Obidients, is this your new order?”

The tweet has generated over 100 retweets and more than 20,000 views as of Friday.

Another Twitter user, @DivinelyAided tweeted the video with another caption that read:

“I was able to move 439 million people out of poverty” – @PeterObi  Peter Obi”

The tweet has garnered over a hundred retweets, over 14,000 views and more than 100 likes as of Friday.

A Facebook account, @Tinubu Emilokan Group posted the video again with another caption that read:

“FACTCHECKED. I Pulled 439 Million Nigerians Out Of Po*verty   ~ Peter Obi.”

“FACT CHECK : Nigeria Has An Estimated Population Of 200 Million People.”

The post has generated more reactions and shares on Facebook too.

CLAIM 

That Obi said he pulled 439 million people out of poverty in Anambra.

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE.

ALSO READ: Photo of Obi in handshakes with Tinubu is FAKE!

Further checks by The FactCheckHub revealed that the video has been manipulated. Where Obi mentioned “China” was removed and replaced with where he said “I” as seen in the doctored video.

In the full original video, Obi spoke about how the adoption of the Millenium Development Goals helped China to lift 439 million citizens out of poverty.

“….It was MDGs China input into their development agenda and were able to pull 439 million people out of poverty. It was MDGs India input into their development agenda, and they were able to pull 269 million people out of poverty,” Obi said.

THE VERDICT 

The claim that Obi said he lifted 439 million people out of poverty is FALSE; findings revealed that Obi was making a reference to China in the speech.

False claim circulates that Apostle Suleman’s daughter was killed in Edo convoy attack

Raji Olatunji
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False claim circulates that Apostle Suleman’s daughter was killed in Edo convoy attack

A report has circulated online that the daughter of Apostle Johnson Suleman was among those killed in the recent attack on the pastor’s convoy along Warrake road, in Auchi area of Edo State.

Gunmen had reportedly opened fire at the convoy of Apostle Johnson Suleman, the General Overseer of the Omega Fire Ministries, on Friday, October 21, 2022.

READ: Is this photo of Kenyan pastor beaten up by church members?

The incident led to the death of a few persons who were part of the pastor’s entourage.

Following the incident, a post shared by For The Love Of Anambra on Facebook claimed that four policemen, one driver and the cleric’s daughter lost their lives in the gun attack.

The post has since garnered over 1,500 reactions, more than 200 shares and 596 comments as of October 23.

The post reads:

“UPDATE:

Gunmen Attack Apostle Suleman’s Convoy, 4 Policemen And His Daughter Dead

Gunmen on Friday attacked the convoy of the Senior Pastor and General Overseer of Omega Fire Ministries (OFM) International, Apostle Johnson Suleman.

According to reports gathered, the cleric’s convoy was ambushed by unknown gunmen on Warake road in Auchi, Edo State.

Four policemen, one driver and a little girl who is the cleric’s little daughter have been confirmed dead as of the time of filing this report.”

CLAIM

Apostle Suleman’s daughter killed in the Edo convoy attack.

Screenshot of the Facebook post alluding that Apostle Suleman’s daughter was killed in the Edo convoy attack.

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE.

Media reports show that seven persons lost their lives in the attack, which included three policemen and other staff of the controversial pastor.

Apostle Suleman, who spoke after the incident, disclosed this in a video posted on his verified Twitter handle, where he described the incident as an assassination attempt.

According to him, policemen and other persons in convoy were killed by the assailants who opened fire on his convoy.

While he mentioned that his wife and kids were in the car with him, he said that he was alive and that his family was fine.

ALSO READ: Was groomsman refused entry in church for wearing earrings?

“I just escaped an assassination attempt where seven people were killed. My car was attacked. They opened fire on my car and kept spraying it with bullets. My wife and my kids were there. The escort car, with some police, they killed the policeman, they killed the other people in the other escort car and the buses with us. Seven people – we were all moving in a convoy – were killed,” Apostle Suleman said.

He added, “I am alive. For those who have been calling and all that, I am well; the family is fine. I feel bad for the lives that have been taken. We are mourning but Jesus is Lord. And for all those killed, may their souls rest in peace.”

THE VERDICT

The claim that Apostle Suleman’s daughter was among those killed in the attack on the pastor’s convoy is FALSE; findings revealed that the cleric confirmed that his family is fine.

How true is Peter Obi’s claim on poverty rate in northern Nigeria?

Nurudeen Akewushola
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How true is Peter Obi’s claim on poverty rate in northern Nigeria?

THE presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has said that all the top 10 poorest states in the country are in northern Nigeria.

Obi said this during his address at the interactive session with the Arewa Joint Committee held at the Arewa House in Kaduna on Monday, October 17, 2022, while highlighting critical issues faced by the North.

READ: How accurate is Obi’s claim on Nigeria’s public debt profile?

“…If you go out today, out of 10 poorest states in Nigeria, 10 is in the North…,” Obi said.

CLAIM

All the top 10 poorest states in Nigeria are in the North, says Peter Obi.

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that Obi’s claim is MOSTLY TRUE.

The “2019 Poverty and Inequality in Nigeria” by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) remains the most authoritative data report on the state-by-state poverty rate in Nigeria.

The report stated that 40 per cent of the total population, or almost 83 million people, lives below the country’s poverty line of $381.75 per year.

According to the report, most of the poorest states in the country are mostly from northern Nigeria. In fact, the report indicates that nine of the top 10 states with the highest poverty rates are from the northern region.

However, Ebonyi, which is in the Southeastern geo-political region of the country, was ranked among the top 10 poorest states.

NBS' 2019 Poverty index rate in Nigeria
NBS’ 2019 Poverty index rate in Nigeria

They are Sokoto state (87.73%), Taraba state (87.72%), Jigawa state (87.02%), Ebonyi state (79.76%), Adamawa state (75.41%), Zamfara state (73.98%), Yobe state (72.34%), Niger state (66.11%), Gombe state (62.31%) Bauchi state (61.53%).

ALSO READ: Photo of Obi in handshakes with Tinubu is FAKE!

THE VERDICT

The claim by Peter Obi that all the top 10 poorest states in the country are in northern Nigeria is MOSTLY TRUE; findings revealed that 9 out of the top 10 states are from the north.

 

EDITOR’S NOTE:

The verdict, initially stated as mostly false, was corrected to MOSTLY TRUE, as the NBS data shows that 9 out of the top 10 states in the country with the highest poverty rate are from northern Nigeria.

2023 Election: Nigerian military warns politicians, social media handlers against disinformation

Nurudeen Akewushola
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2023 Election: Nigerian military warns politicians, social media handlers against disinformation

NIGERIA’s Defence Headquarters has warned politicians and their social media handlers to desist from misusing images and visuals of military personnel to campaign and promote their interests.

The warning followed the circulation of two viral video clips circulating on social media, depicting military personnel singing and dancing in support of a presidential candidate while denigrating another in the second video.

READ: Ndume makes false claim about Nigeria’s military strength

According to the DHQ, this not only presents the armed forces in a bad light but can also sow seeds of distrust and instability.

A statement signed by the Director of Defence Information (DDI), Jimmy Akpor, said the videos sent a disturbing signal to members of the public and the political class, as the clips connoted partisanship by military personnel and, by extension, the entire military establishment.

It said the two video clips were manipulated to give a false impression that the military was partisan.

“The attention of the Defence Headquarters has been drawn to two videos circulating online. The first video clip consciously portrays troops making merry and dancing to music, purportedly in celebration and open endorsement of one presidential candidate in the forthcoming elections.

“The second video clip (with the same visuals as the first one) willfully shows troops supposedly dancing to a derogatory song that insults the personality of another presidential candidate.

“On face value, the videos send a disturbing signal to members of the public and the political class in particular, as the videos seemingly connote partisanship by military personnel and by extension, the entire military establishment.

“On closer scrutiny, however, it is obvious that the original visual content (which was used for the two videos) was manipulated to produce the current ones in circulation. The original soundtrack of the videos was a usual morale-boosting song that soldiers sing during military exercises or activities,” it said.

ALSO READ: Skit video showing EFCC officials being harassed by military personnel goes viral

The statement maintained that specific individuals, who were unknown presently, took the video and superimposed different songs on the visuals, which soon went viral, thereby creating the impression that soldiers were promoting the candidacy of a particular politician while disapproving of another.

“While it is within the right of individuals to create media content for political purposes, it is grossly disingenuous to appropriate video of military activity and use same to create contents that portray the military as partisan, political and unprofessional.

“This is particularly despicable as the nation prepares for the 2023 general elections. For 23 years since 1999, the military has toiled night and day to protect and keep guard over Nigeria’s democracy. Thus, the same military cannot afford to be partisan or commit to any enterprise that would create disharmony in the polity,” the statement added.

Defence Headquarters, therefore, warned media handlers and supporters of political parties to desist from doing such as the 2023 polls gather momentum.

“In the light of the foregoing, the Defence Headquarters seriously frowns at the deliberate attempt to misrepresent it and wishes to caution media and public relations handlers as well as supporters of political parties to desist from misusing images and visuals of military personnel as this does not only present the Armed Forces of Nigeria in a bad light, but it could also sow seeds of distrust and instability.

“There is, therefore, the need to be circumspect while copy-writing, never to use military personnel, their activities, uniforms or accoutrements as the main themes or for illustration of the main message in political advertisements or any such productions. Defaulters would henceforth be fished out and made to face the wrath of the law,” it stated.

Tinubu makes inaccurate claims about Nigeria’s crude oil production, pricing in 2015

Editorial
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Tinubu makes inaccurate claims about Nigeria’s crude oil production, pricing in 2015

By Philip Shimnom Clement

 

THE presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 election, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, recently stated that Nigeria’s oil production under the previous government was 400,000 barrels per day before President Muhammadu Buhari took over as the nation’s president in 2015.

He started this while speaking at the launch of the women’s team of the APC presidential campaign.

READ: Akpabio repeats false claim about Lagos IGR under Tinubu 

He also told the APC women’s wing to tell Nigerians calling for a change of government to “shut up”.

Tinubu, who is considered a ‘frontline’ contender in the 2023 general elections, said he would consolidate Buhari’s achievements if elected to office.

He said Nigerians seeking a change of government had forgotten the country’s situation before President Buhari assumed office, adding that he would put an end to banditry if elected president in 2023.

“If they say they want a change of government, just tell them, we will like to be polite, but shut up your mouth.

“In the last eight years, even as a party that inherited a troublesome nation under the weight of uncertainty, we preached change of government which God has changed.

“Buhari took over, he took over the lowest production of 400,000 barrels of oil, the worst pricing; but still, the very determined and focused person was able to bail out even 36 states of this country who are not able to pay salary, people who are living in hunger – give him a bravo,” Tinubu said.

CLAIMS

  1. That Nigeria’s oil production was 400,000 barrels per day before President Muhammadu Buhari took over as president in 2015.
  2. That Nigeria had the worst pricing for crude oil produced before Buhari’s government in 2015.

THE FINDINGS

Checks by Daily Trust show that the claims by Tinubu in the period under review are INACCURATE.

Data from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) shows that Nigeria recorded an average oil production of 2.05 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2011; 1.9 million bpd in 2012; 1.7 million bpd in 2013; and 1.8 million bpd in 2014.

ALSO READ: Photo of Obi in handshakes with Tinubu is FAKE!

Similarly, Nigeria’s average annual price of crude oil in 1999 was about $17.4 per barrel. It rose to $27.6 in 2000, dropped to $23.1 in 2001, and maintained a slight increase in 2002($24.3), 2003($28.1) and in 2004(36.5) respectively, data from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) as quoted by Statista, a data analysis platform showed.

The data revealed that oil sold for $50.5 per barrel in 2005, $61 in 2006, $69 in 2007, $94.1 in 2008, $60.8 in 2009 and in 2010, the oil price was $77.3. In 2011, the average annual price of oil had gotten to a record high of $107 per barrel, increasing to $109 per barrel in 2012, $105.8 in 2013 and touched $96.2 in 2014 and partly in 2015 before President Buhari took over.

This clearly shows that President Buhari didn’t take over a government with the worst oil production pricing as claimed by Tinubu.

Also, OPEC data shows the highest price ever paid for crude oil was between June and July 2008, when a barrel of crude oil was sold for around $130 to $147, although the average crude oil price in 2008 ended up being $94.45 per barrel.

Background

Although Nigeria earns huge amounts of money from crude oil sales, fuel subsidy payment has done more harm than good to its revenues.

As it stands, Nigeria does not have an accurate figure on how many litres are consumed by citizens as the figures quoted range between 50 million litres per day to around 103 million litres.

Findings show that Nigeria spent N758.1 billion to cater for the cost of petroleum shortfall in the first quarter of 2022.

According to media reports, Nigeria incurred a subsidy cost of N210.3 billion in January 2022, N219.783 billion in February, and N328.004 billion in March.

Analysts have argued that the subsidy cost denies the country value that could have accrued from higher oil prices.

The Petroleum Industry Act 2021 (PIA 2021), although suspended for now to accommodate subsidy payments from now till June 2023, is reported to be the game changer in Nigeria’s petroleum sector.

THE VERDICT

The claims by Tinubu that Nigeria recorded 400,000 barrels per day and the worst crude oil prices before President Buhari took over are INACCURATE.

 

This report was written by Daily Trust, and republished by The FactCheckHub as part of the Nigerian Fact-checkers’ Coalition initiative. See the original piece here.

Charly Boy shares misleading photo of Tinubu watching Peter Obi on TV

Nurudeen Akewushola
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0
Charly Boy shares misleading photo of Tinubu watching Peter Obi on TV

NIGERIAN music artiste, Charles Chukwuemeka Oputa, has tweeted a photo showing the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, watching his counterpart from the Labour Party, Peter Obi, on a television screen.

He tweeted the photo on Saturday, October 8, 2022, following the arrival of Tinubu on Thursday after spending weeks in the United Kingdom.

“Welcome home my bro, this is the man to watch,” Charly Boy tweeted on its verified Twitter handle, @areafada1.

READ: Charly Boy’s tweet about INEC discontinuing electronic transmission of results is FALSE

The tweet has garnered more than 1,000 retweets and over 7,000 likes as of noon on October 10, 2022.

CLAIM

That photo shows Bola Tinubu watching Peter Obi on television.

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE.

Using Google Reverse Image Search, checks revealed that the photo has been manipulated. 

The original photo shows Bola Tinubu staring at a TV screen.

The original image shows Tinubu in an aeroplane staring at a TV screen on his way from the United Kingdom to Nigeria. However, there was nothing showing on the screen.

This is not the first time that Charly Boy has shared misleading claims online.

The FactCheckHub had earlier reported how he shared a misleading video with a claim that it shows Peter Obi’s supporters in boats holding a campaign rally in riverine areas. When The FactCheckHub subjected the video to verification, it revealed that the claim was FALSE.

ALSO READ: Photo of Obi in handshakes with Tinubu is FAKE!

The FactCheckHub also reported how he made a false claim about the electronic transmission of election results by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

THE VERDICT 

The photo shared by Charly Boy on Saturday is MISLEADING; findings revealed that the photo has been manipulated.

Tinubu shares misleading photo amidst failing health speculation

Nurudeen Akewushola
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0
Tinubu shares misleading photo amidst failing health speculation

THE presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has shared a photo of himself holding a newspaper amid speculations that the former Lagos Governor was receiving medical attention in the United Kingdom.

Recall that following Tinubu‘s absence from several political functions in the country recently, he was rumoured to be sick and hospitalized in London.

Media reports as seen here, here, here, and here indicated that Tinubu returned to Nigeria on Thursday evening, October 6, 2022.

READ: Akpabio repeats false claim about Lagos IGR under Tinubu 

However, the APC 2023 presidential candidate had earlier, in an effort to debunk the speculation, posted a video of himself having a workout session to show that he is hale and hearty via his official Twitter handle, @OfficialABAT. The FactCheckHub found out that one of the videos in circulation was an old video, which has been on the internet since 2013.

In the photo Tinubu posted on his verified Twitter handle on Thursday morning, he appeared in a suit and sat on a chair reading a copy of The Nation newspaper.

The caption on the image reads:

“Staying focused

#BAT23

The same photo was also posted on his verified Instagram handle, @officialasiwajubat here and his official Facebook page here.

Screenshot of the photo posted on Tinubu's Instagram page.
Screenshot of the photo posted on Tinubu’s Instagram page.

The photo has since garnered over 3,000 retweets, over 2,900 quote tweets and over 21,000 likes on Twitter.

Similarly, it has over 11,000 likes on Instagram alongside over 1,300 comments as of early Friday.

Earlier on Thursday morning, his son, Seyi Tinubu, shared photos of Tinubu playing with his grandchildren. According to Seyi Tinubu, the pictures were taken last Sunday.

But, is the photo recent?

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the photo is MISLEADING.

A closer look at the copy of the newspaper held by Tinubu in the photo shows that it is an old copy of The Nation Newspaper published on January 23, 2022.

Screenshot of The Nation newspaper’s front page published on January 23, 2022.

For instance, the front-page headline: “2023 Presidency: PDP governors close ranks, move to corner ticket” seen on the newspaper being held by Tinubu was published by The Nation on its website on January 23, 2022.

ALSO READ: T.B Joshua: Video of Tinubu criticizing BBC documentary is doctored!

Similarly, the headlines of Buhari’s vow to crush terrorists before expiration of his tenure (archived here) and that of Soot in Niger Delta (archived here) were also published by the newspaper on the same date.

THE VERDICT

The photo shared by Bola Ahmed Tinubu on October 6, 2022, on its verified Twitter handle is MISLEADING.

How misinformation about vaccine safety aids reluctance to vaccinate children in US

Raji Olatunji
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0
How misinformation about vaccine safety aids reluctance to vaccinate children in US

A recent study has shown how misinformation about vaccine safety influenced the reluctance to vaccinate children in the United States.

The study, titled: “Misinformation about vaccine safety and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines among adults and 5-11-year-olds in the United States,” was published in the journal Vaccine, an official journal of the Edward Jenner Society and the Japanese Society for Vaccinology.

The study, carried out by researchers from the Annenberg Public Policy Centre (APPC) of the University of Pennsylvania, found that U.S. adult hesitancy to be vaccinated against COVID was associated with misbeliefs about vaccines in general.

READ: Ahmed Isah’s false claims about HPV vaccine go viral in Nigeria

Such misbeliefs include the false impression that vaccines contain toxins like antifreeze.

There are also fears that the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine causes autism, which was said to be false.

Another impression with no evidence was that the flu vaccine increases the chances of contracting Covid-19.

All these were said to have predicted hesitancy to vaccinate children aged 5 to 11, even among those who had been vaccinated themselves.

The lead author and APPC research director, Dan Romer, said, “All of the misconceptions we studied focused in one way or another on the safety of vaccination, and that explains why people’s misbeliefs about vaccinating kids are so highly related to their concerns about vaccines in general.”

“Unfortunately, those concerns weigh even more heavily when adults consider vaccinating children,” he added.

The study draws on four waves of a national probability survey conducted with more than 1,600 U.S. adults for APPC by an independent research firm, SSRS.

The waves were in April, June and September 2021, and January 2022, while the last wave was conducted several months after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave emergency use authorization to Covid-19 vaccines for 5-11-year-olds in October 2021.

Survey panellists were asked about Covid-19 and vaccine knowledge, beliefs, and behaviours. Full vaccination rates among the panellists ranged from 31% in April 2021 to 71% in September 2021, then rose to 74% by January 2022.

The key question was why an adult who had been vaccinated against Covid-19 would express reluctance to have a 5-11-year-old do the same.

The study’s answer to that was that misinformation about the safety of the Covid-19 vaccine increased the reluctance of even vaccinated adults, including vaccinated parents of children, to recommend Covid-19 vaccination for 5- to 11-year-olds.

That was in addition to general misconceptions about the safety of vaccines and vaccination.

ALSO READ: COVID-19: Claims about transmission via water, vaccine death toll fact-checked

FactCheck.org, a project of APPC, has said there is no evidence to validate the claim that Covid-19 vaccines cause infertility.

Claims that the vaccines change the recipient’s DNA and are riskier than contracting Covid-19 were said to be false.

Further claims that Covid-19 vaccines frequently cause allergic reactions and are responsible for thousands of deaths were said not to be evidence-based.

The above claims are Covid-specific misconceptions said to be considered in the study.

In January 2022, only about 55% of survey panellists reportedly said they were “very likely” to recommend vaccinating a child aged 5 to 11. And among parents of a child under the age of 18, the percentage was 44%.

The co-author, Kathleen Hall Jamieson, who is also a director at the Annenberg Public Policy Centre, said, “concerns about vaccine safety are clearly a powerful predictor of reluctance to vaccinate oneself and children.”

“It is easy to understand why adults would be particularly concerned about adverse reactions, impacts on the DNA, the potential fertility of children, and the possibility that a vaccine might contain toxins or cause autism. Allaying these unwarranted concerns should be a public health priority,” Jamieson added.

Experience with the Covid-19 vaccines for children indicates that the vaccines protect against hospitalization for more than 20 weeks and can reduce the risk of infection.

The APPC study found less support for the Covid-19 vaccination of children among Black and Hispanic respondents, evangelical Christians, Republicans, and women, as well as the parents of children under 18.

This was said to be consistent with other work about adult vaccination hesitancy.

Science Daily reports that as of late September 2022, nearly 78% of U.S. adults but only 31% of children aged 5 to 11 had completed the primary set of vaccinations against Covid-19.

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