DeGette, Castor introduce legislation to combat spread of health misinformation

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Reps. Diana DeGette (D-CO) and Kathy Castor (D-FL) introduced legislation today to convene a panel of experts to help U.S. public health agencies combat the rampant spread of misinformation during a public health emergency.

The legislation – known as the Promoting Public Health Information Act – would create a committee of experts from various fields to report directly to the Secretary of Health and Human Services and help establish a set of best practices that public health agencies across the country can use to most effectively disseminate timely and accurate information to the public during a public health crisis.

The panel would be tasked with not only developing ways to most effectively communicate important information to the public during a public health crisis, but would also be tasked with establishing procedures that public health agencies should take to address misinformation that spreads, either intentionally or unintentionally, during a crisis.

“One of the things we have learned in responding to public health emergencies – such as SARS, Ebola and, now, COVID-19 – is that time is of the essence,” DeGette said. “When a potential threat emerges, it is critical that we immediately have all hands on deck to contain it as soon as possible – and that requires providing the public with the accurate and timely information they need to protect themselves and their families. Ensuring our public health agencies have the tools they need to effectively communicate to the American people during a crisis is critical. It’s also vital to ensure they have the ability and know-how to rapidly address disinformation that’s not only eroding the public’s trust in our public health agencies, but is also causing people to take actions that are adverse to their own health and well-being.”

“In Florida, we have seen the devastating consequences of the spread of misinformation and disinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Castor said. “These dangerous efforts repeatedly undercut the hard work of public health officials who were up against one of the greatest threats to our country in modern times, eroding public confidence in vital institutions at the time we relied on them most. I am proud to sponsor this bill to counter this type of misinformation and ensure that the public has the best information based on solid science to make decisions in the future.”

Public health officials have routinely cited the persistent spread of misinformation, both online and through polarized news sources, as one of the most significant challenges in responding to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Misinformation about both the disease and the treatments available to protect people’s health remain a primary reason why more than 62 million Americans still have not yet been vaccinated for COVID-19.

According to a study done by the Kaiser Health Foundation, nearly 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. believed the federal government was covering up deaths caused by the COVID-19 vaccine. That same study found that nearly 1 in 7 Americans believed that you could get COVID-19 from the vaccine, while 1 in 12 believed the vaccine contained a microchip or could change your DNA.

Experts say the constant barrage of misinformation that continues to spread regarding COVID-19 has made it increasingly difficult for accurate health advice to break through. Experts also warn that as long as health misinformation continues to spread about the disease so, too, will the virus itself.

A copy of the legislation is available here.