Russian Trolls Promoted Anti-Vaccination Propaganda that May Have Caused Measles Outbreak, Researcher Claims

Trolls used the vaccination debate to try to sow discord during the US election, researchers say. Photograph: Buenaventuramariano/Getty Images/iStockphoto

CLICK HERE - RESEARCH REPORT - American Public Health Association - Weaponized Health Communication: Twitter Bots and Russian Trolls Amplify the Vaccine Debate

newsweek.com - by Christina Maza - February 14, 2019

Russian propaganda may be responsible for the persistence of measles as conspiracy theories about vaccinations spread across the Internet, according to researchers.

The same Russian trolls who attempted to provoke racial tensions and influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election were also responsible for spreading propaganda against vaccinations. Their efforts may have helped cause the measles outbreak that infected tens of thousands and killed dozens in Europe last year, researchers told Radio Free Europe.

A 2018 report by the American Public Health Association, titled "Weaponized Health Communication: Twitter Bots and Russian Trolls Amplify the Vaccine Debate," came to a similar conclusion.

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CLICK HERE - Radio Free Europe - Are Russian Trolls Saving Measles From Extinction?

CLICK HERE - Russia trolls 'spreading vaccination misinformation' to create discord

CLICK HERE - Russian trolls 'spreading discord' over vaccine safety online