Dubai: The best way to combat fake news on the COVID-19 pandemic and to win over anti-vaxxers, or those who are opposed to vaccination, is to present stories, facts and information in a straightforward and easily digestible language. This was emphasised by Emirati doctor-writer Dr Nafea Alyasi and United Kingdom-based doctor-writers Dr Jay Jayamohan and Dr Rupy Aujla during a session titled ‘Fighting the Anti-Facts Movement at the 2021 Emirates Airline Festival of Literature on Friday. The session was sponsored by Gulf News.
Dr Nafea Alyasi
The trio noted fearmongering and disinformation are very serious problems and the medical world is plagued by conspiracy theories and pseudoscience that put public’s health at risk. Like the LitFest theme that says ‘Change the Story’, the experts noted that there is a critical need to “change the narrative” when disseminating information to the public.