“Died Suddenly” Is Anti-Vaxxers’ New Favorite Phrase

Fri, 3 Feb 2023 19:04:33 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://slate.com/technology/2023/01/died-suddenly-covid-vaccine-misinformation.html>

"Mis- and disinformation have been prevalent throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,
but in recent months anti-vax activists and conspiracy theorists have latched
on to a new phrase to help their cause: “died suddenly.” Anti-vaxxers hoping to
convince people that COVID vaccines are linked to sudden deaths among younger
people have invoked the term while trying to exploit tragic events like the
death of soccer journalist Grant Wahl, or Damar Hamlin suffering a cardiac
arrest during an NFL game. Though that theory has no scientific evidence to
support it, the “died suddenly” rhetoric has gained a lot of traction on social
media. What makes COVID misinformation so spreadable, and how can public health
officials combat the rumors?

On Friday’s episode of What Next: TBD, I spoke with Katelyn Jetelina, an
epidemiologist and data scientist, about the rise of the viral dog whistle
“died suddenly.” Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity."

Via Cass M, who wrote "Fascinating study, I wouldn’t expect these results. But
I guess lack of health understanding affects everything."

Cheers,
       *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net               Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/            Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/               Manager, Serious Cybernetics

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