Facts. Figures! Fiction?

Disinformation, or as we now say fake news, is not new, but the advent of social media now allows it to travel with unprecedented speed to ever larger audiences. It has enormous implications for public health. Some groups pursuing political goals have weaponised issues like vaccine safety. Others have discovered that by tapping into these concerns they can make large amounts of money, using them as clickbait. Health professionals need to understand this changing information environment, understanding the cognitive biases that favour the spread of fake news, proactively tackling its sources, and framing their messages in ways that reduce its impact.