Author: admin

A COVID-19 misinformation-busting messaging intervention that presented a myth followed by a fact among people who had completed the initial vaccine series strengthened their resolve to follow up with a booster dose, suggests a University of Pennsylvania study published last week in Vaccine.

For the randomized controlled experiment, the researchers randomly assigned 892 racially diverse US adults with vaccine safety concerns to receive no message (control arm) or one of three message types: (1) a myth followed by fact, (2) a fact followed by a myth and the fact again, (3) or a fact only. The team then surveyed participants about their intent to receive the initial COVID-19 vaccine series or a booster in the next 3 and 12 months.

Concerns about turning people off to vaccination

Participants’ ages ranged from 18 to 79 years (average, 36 years), about half were men, a fifth were Hispanic, 40% were non-White, a quarter were Republicans, and a third were Democrats.

The myths were: “The COVID-19 vaccine causes infertility,” “It’s safer to get COVID-19 than to get the COVID-19 vaccine,” and “The effectiveness and safety of the COVID-19 vaccine cannot be trusted.”

“Attempts to correct misinformation often use one of three common message structures,” the researchers wrote. “The effectiveness of these message structures is unclear, and concerns have been raised that some can ‘backfire’ by weakening vaccination intentions.”

For example, some experts believe that the traditional myth-fact approach used by many public health organizations throughout the COVID-19 pandemic may inadvertently reinforce the myth by repeating it. 

“People may have difficulty recalling whether the information was categorized as the myth or fact because the context is forgotten,” the study authors wrote. “In addition, people show an increased liking for stimuli when they are exposed to them more often.”

No impact on booster intent in unvaccinated 

Of 531 participants who had received zero or one COVID-19 vaccine doses, 65% said they had no intention of receiving a dose in the next 12 months, 28% reported weak intentions, and 7% reported strong intentions. Of 361 recipients of two or more doses, 16% said they had no intention of getting a booster within the first 12 months it was available to them, 37% reported weak intentions, and 48% indicated strong intentions.

Exposure to the myth-followed-by-fact message was associated with stronger booster intentions among participants who had received an initial COVID-19 vaccine dose than those among controls. Of those who hadn’t received the initial vaccine series, the strength of intent to begin vaccination was the same across all study groups. 

Receiving one COVID-19 vaccine dose (compared with zero), higher financial stress, and a Democratic political affiliation were significantly related to stronger intentions to receive the vaccine in the next 12 months. 

Among participants who had completed the initial two-shot series, the intention to receive a COVID-19 booster in the first 12 months it was available to them was stronger among those who viewed the myth followed by the fact than in those who received no message. The fact-myth-fact and fact-only messages didn’t significantly strengthen or weaken booster intentions. 

Probably not reinforcing the myth

“In this study, only one of the three debunking message structures was effective, but none had counterproductive consequences, despite fears that they ‘backfire,’” the researchers wrote. “Therefore, the results did not suggest the messages repeating the myth are reinforcing the myth.” 

Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) are more likely to experience dental complications, yet fewer than half of those enrolled in Michigan Medicaid received dental care in 2022, according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open.^1,2

The study, led by researchers at Michigan Medicine and the RAND Corporation, examined Medicaid dental claims for 1,096 children with SCD and compared them with claims from more than 1.18 million Medicaid-enrolled children in Michigan. Despite increased risk for oral health problems, children with SCD had dental care utilization rates comparable to the general Medicaid pediatric population.

“Sickle cell disease is known to increase the risk of dental complications in children, which underscores the importance of preventive dental care for this population,” said senior author Sarah Reeves, PhD, MPH, an associate professor of pediatrics and epidemiology at the University of Michigan Medical School and the Susan B. Meister Child Health Evaluation and Research (CHEAR) Center.

Study design and findings

Using validated case definitions from the Michigan Sickle Cell Data Collection program, investigators analyzed dental claims for preventive services, treatment, and overall utilization. The analysis followed STROBE reporting guidelines and used Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services data for comparison.

Results showed that 42% of children with SCD received any dental services in 2022, compared with 44% of the general Medicaid population. Preventive dental care was received by 38% of children with SCD compared with 40% of peers without SCD. Treatment services were accessed by 15% of children with SCD versus 18% of other Medicaid-enrolled children.

When analyzed by age group, some disparities emerged. For example, children aged 6 to 14 years with SCD were significantly less likely to receive any dental services (50% vs 54%) and preventive dental services (46% vs 51%) compared with their peers. In contrast, children aged 1 to 5 years with SCD had slightly higher utilization rates, although these differences were not statistically significant.

Clinical significance

The authors emphasized the importance of preventive dental care for children with SCD due to the disease’s reciprocal relationship with oral health. Dental infections can trigger or worsen SCD complications by causing inflammation and red blood cell sickling.

“Oral infections are especially dangerous for people with sickle cell disease because they can trigger or worsen symptoms and serious complications,” Reeves said. “Preventative dental care helps reduce the risk of pain crises and hospitalizations.”

Despite these risks, access barriers persist. Medicaid covers pediatric dental services, and guidelines recommend annual visits for children. However, both children with and without SCD in the study showed low utilization rates.

Barriers and recommendations

The study noted several barriers limiting dental care access for children with SCD, including limited participation of dentists in Medicaid programs and a lack of clear clinical guidance for treating these patients.

“Our findings show that we need to take steps to make sure kids with this condition get the dental care they need—by helping dentists feel more prepared to treat them and making sure doctors know how important dental health is for these children,” Reeves said.

Targeted interventions may include improved training for dental providers, stronger coordination between medical and dental professionals, and expanded research on structural barriers.

“Given increased risk of oral health problems among patients with sickle cell disease we need focused efforts to expand access to dental services for them,” Reeves said. “There are many reasons why dental care rates are low in this group. Future research should look at what those barriers are and how we can overcome them to improve care for this vulnerable population.”

The study highlights the need for improved strategies to ensure preventive dental care reaches children with SCD, underscoring its role in preventing serious health complications.

References

1. Michigan Medicine – University of Michigan. Children with sickle cell disease face higher risk of dental issues, yet many don’t receive needed care. Eurekalert. September 3, 2025. Accessed September 5, 2025. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1096502
2. Kranz A, Peng HK, King AA, Clark SJ, Plegue MA, Reeves SL. Sickle Cell Disease and Dental Care Access Among Medicaid-Enrolled Youths. JAMA Network Open. 2025;8(9):e2529849-e2529849. doi:https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.29849

Many infectious diseases are sensitive to certain climates and thrive in others. Consider malaria, which is rife in warm, humid, wet climates, and practically nonexistent in areas with cold temperatures or high altitudes. Given the fact that many of these climate variables can be observed from space, this allows users to predict where certain disease outbreaks may occur.

On October 7 and 9, 2025, NASA’s Applied Remote Sensing Training Program (ARSET) is offering a two-part, live, online training on the use of NASA satellite data for tracking climate-sensitive vector-borne disease outbreaks. Those who attend will learn about general approaches when applying satellite remote sensing data to studying or forecasting climate-sensitive infectious diseases. These will be illustrated with a case study example showing how remote sensing has been used to forecast malaria outbreaks. 

This training will also present some common, freely available NASA remote sensing datasets used in these applications, as well as where and how to access them, and how to decide which datasets are fit for this purpose.

This training is open to the public and is recommended for biostatisticians, medical students, vector ecologists, biologists studying disease vector organisms, public health officials, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) tasked with monitoring and preparing for infectious disease outbreaks.