Bill Gates Says Conspiracy Theories Delaying End of Pandemic

Since the pandemic began, many COVID conspiracy theories featured billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates. The Microsoft founder said that these conspiracy theories harm efforts to prevent COVID.

Specifically, disinformation prevents many Americans from accepting vaccines.

RELATED: Bill Gates: “By 2060, Climate Change Could Be Just as Deadly as COVID-19”

Bill Gates Feature Prominently In Many COVID Conspiracy Theories

Gates admits being a target for many bizarre conspiracy theories regarding COVID-19. This disinformation prevents many Americans from getting vaccinated. As a result, the timeline for the end of the pandemic kept getting delayed. 

In his blog, Gates said that “conspiracy theories that unfortunately involve me” hurt US vaccine efforts. He expected US vaccination rates to reach higher rates at this point.

However, the number seems to remain stuck at 61%. This means that only six out of ten Americans completed the full vaccination program. This is according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

US Lagging Behind in Vaccination Rates

The United States currently ranks 84th among countries with fully vaccinated citizens. This covers countries on all continents except Antarctica.

The data comes from Our World in Data figures. Gates said the low rates stem from distrust due to conspiracy theories. “This is part of a larger trend toward distrust in institutions,” Gates said. He said, “it’s one of the issues I’m most worried about heading into 2022.”

The Kaiser Family Foundation published a survey last November. It showed a clearer picture of how conspiracy theories affected vaccine rates.

78% of American adults believe or are unsure of at least one piece of established misinformation about COVID-19. 

Common COVID-19 Myth and Conspiracy Theories

Many COVID myths and conspiracy theories emerged from the survey. These include the belief that “the government is exaggerating Covid deaths numbers”.

It also includes the myth that pregnant women should avoid taking the vaccine. According to medical sources, both myths are false. However, the CDC might actually be undercounting COVID deaths.

In addition, no existing studies show that COVID vaccines cause fertility issues. In fact, the CDC declared the safety of FDA-approved vaccines. This includes use by pregnant, breastfeeding, or expecting women. 

In addition, no existing studies show that COVID vaccines cause fertility issues. In fact, the CDC declared the safety of FDA-approved vaccines. This includes use by pregnant, breastfeeding, or expecting women. 

Meanwhile, these myths and conspiracy theories are planting doubts on many Americans’ minds. Specifically, they make many hesitant or distrust COVID vaccines.

Unfortunately, there are no fixes to combat disinformation. In addition, the presence of social media where anybody can post an opinion over anything makes things worse.  

Gates Suggests Government Should Establish Better Rules Over Social Media

In addition, Gates suggested that the government make interventions to prevent the spread of disinformation.

The government should establish clearer rules on how social media works to deliver information. This can help prevent people from sharing falsehoods and outright inaccurate data. 

Consequently, more responsible social media rules can prevent the spread of information that can prove harmful to people’s health. 

For example, Gates pointed to a circulating video that’s making the rounds. “A video falsely claiming that the Covid-19 vaccine makes you infertile should not be allowed to spread widely under the guise of being news,” Gates wrote.

Watch the Bloomberg Markets and Finance video reporting on Bill Gates regarding his opinion on the Covid fight and pandemic preparedness:

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Do you agree that myths and conspiracy theories prevent Americans from getting vaccines? In addition, is social media adding to the problem?

Tell us what you think about COVID misinformation and social media. Share your thoughts in the comments section below.