Fake News Story Goes Viral and Scares People Away from Getting the Flu Shot

According to an online article published in Global Citizen,this January, a fake news article has gone viral on Facebook and has scared thousands of people away from getting the flu shot this season. The story claims that the flu shot actually caused the flu in patients who received the vaccination. The misleading health information was published by YoursNewsWire.com with the title "CDC Doctor: ‘Disastrous’ Flu Shot Is Causing Deadly Flu Outbreak". Thousands of people shared the misinformation and led them to avoid taking the flu shot, according to the CDC. The misinformation apparently targets susceptible people and spreads fear and suspicion." Like the flu virus itself, such stories target susceptible people and spread from person to person. They reach them via social media algorithms, which figure out and promote information we are most likely to engage with." According to the CDC, this is the worst flu season in over a decade. [1 Picture, 2 Quotes, 3 Links,