Becker's Clinical Quality & Infection Control

8 INFECTION CONTROL NIH researchers call for more research into rare, polio-like illness By Mackenzie Bean M ore research must be done to better under- stand acute flaccid my- elitis, three researchers from the National Institutes of Health wrote in an op-ed published in Clinical Science and Epidemiology. The op-ed's authors are: • Anthony Fauci, MD, director of NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in Bethesda, Md. • David Morens, MD, senior scientific adviser of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases • Gregory Folkers, chief of staff for the National Insti- tute of Allergy and Infec- tious Diseases In the article, the researchers outlined current options for treating AFM and discussed the need for additional research into the illness, which primarily affects children. "The trajectory of AFM over the past five years suggests that the problem is getting worse, and so it is critical that we galvanize our efforts to learn more about, and respond adequately to, this ubiquitous, often crippling, con- tinually reemerging group of viruses," the researchers wrote. Their call for more research comes after the U.S. saw a signif- icant spike in children contract- ing the rare, polio-like illness last year. The CDC confirmed 228 AFM cases in 41 states, up from just 35 cases in 2017. Cases have spiked every other year since 2014. The cause of the illness is still unknown. n Instagram, GoFundMe crack down on anti-vaccine content By Mackenzie Bean I nstagram and GoFundMe are among the latest social media companies to address anti-vaccine content online. Four things to know: 1. Instagram shared plans to block anti-vaccine hashtags March 21. The move came about three weeks after its parent company, Facebook, pledged to stop promoting anti-vaccine posts on Instagram, reported The Hill. 2. An Instagram spokesperson said the platform will block hashtags such as #vac- cinescauseautism and #vaccinesarepoison as a "short-term measure" to address vaccine misinformation, according to The Hill. "As we take action in the short-term, we know that fighting misinformation is a long-term commitment," the spokesperson said. 3. On March 22, GoFundMe also announced it would remove all crowdfunding cam- paigns from its platform seeking to raise money to promote vaccine misinformation. 4. Spokesperson Bobby Whithorne told the Daily Beast that GoFundMe is "conducting a thorough review and will remove any campaigns currently on the platform." Mr. Whithorne called the crowdfunding campaigns "extremely rare." So far, GoFundMe has identified fewer than 10 campaigns to remove. n There are 4 types of anti-vaccine messages, study finds By Anuja Vaidya A study published in Vaccine found that anti-vaccination discourse doesn't always center on autism, and instead has four distinct themes. Researchers from the University of Pitts- burgh Center for Research on Media, Technology, and Health analyzed comments made on a Facebook video posted by Kids Plus Pediatrics, a Pittsburgh-based pediatric practice, that urged HPV vaccinations. ey examined the profiles of 197 commenters, who were randomly selected. e commen- tators were from 36 states and eight coun- tries, and a majority were mothers. e four distinct themes that emerged were: • Trust — the commentators did not trust the scientific community and were worried about their personal liberty. • Alternatives — the commentators touted alternatives to vaccines, such as homeopathic remedies, and cited con- cerns about chemicals in vaccines. • Safety — the commentators noted perceived risks and concerns regarding the morality of vaccination. • Conspiracy — the commentators cited government-led conspiracies, stating that the government and other entities hide information that the commenta- tors believe to be facts. e study can also help pediatricians more effectively approach and speak with parents who do not want to vaccinate their children. "For example, telling someone in the 'trust' subgroup that vaccines don't cause autism may alienate them because that isn't their concern to begin with," said Beth Hoffman, a graduate student at the Center for Research on Media, Technology, and Health and leader of the study. "Instead, it may be more effective to find common ground and deliver tailored messages related to trust and the perception mandatory vaccination threatens their ability to make decisions for their child." n

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