LAUSR

The threat of viral misinformation spread through social media was recognized well before this pandemic struck 2 The World Health Organization named "vaccine hesitancy" as one of the top 10 global health threats in 2019 and pointed to the risks of an "infodemic " To many, this narrative is plausible: it is precisely the narrative that those trying to undermine confidence in vaccines are promoting on social media 4 Second, the misinformation contains a gist-a compelling, simple, bottom-line meaning-that interprets the facts in light of political, cultural, and social values held in long-term memory by its audience 5 In the midst of a pandemic marked by repeated restrictions on movement, the value of personal autonomy is even more pronounced Consider that a simple search on Google usingthe terms "vaccine mRNA" immediately yields a "COVID-19 alert" with several "common questions," including "Could an mRNA vaccine change my DNA?" Clicking on this question yields the following answer: "An mRNA vaccine-the first COVID-19 vaccine to be granted emergency use authorization (EUA) by the FDA [US Food and Drug Administration]-cannot change your DNA" (https://bit ly/3uzxpnP) Even a more detailed factual response, such as the statement provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that "mRNA from the vaccine never enters the nucleus ofthe cell and does not affect or interact with a person's DNA" (https://bit ly/2Pc95tn) may be misconstrued because it assumes that the listener possesses, and can contextualize, knowledge of cell biology