By SAT News Desk
MELBOURNE, 14 March 2021: ‘Misinformation’ has been the biggest headache for governments globally during the COVID-19 pandemic. All sorts of conspiracy theories about the Carona virus and the vaccines to curb it face flak on social media and other forums. And, Australia is no exception. The gigantic issue is being confronted by the WHO and other international agencies. The Australian government is also ramping up its campaign against misinformation on the COVID-19 vaccines, as the vaccination program ramps up moving into Phase 1B.
A new website, called Is it true? – www.health.gov/covid-19-caccines – will help answer questions people may have about the vaccine, and respond to vaccine misinformation they may have heard.This new function will provide trusted, credible information on COVID-19 vaccines for everyone in Australia. It will sort the fact from the fiction.
The information on the website will be clear, accurate, and timely. This will help reassure Australians about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine and answer commonly asked questions and misinformation relating to the COVID-19 Vaccination program.
“It’s essential that people get their information on the vaccines from credible sources – and that should be on official government websites.
With new vaccine developments every day, it’s very normal for people to have questions and possibly feel hesitant about getting the vaccine. That doesn’t make them anti-vaccination.
The new section on the website will address the most common questions being asked by people and will be updated regularly. The Government is running an extensive $31 million education campaign through the rollout, providing people with information about the approval process for the vaccines, details on what phases the rollout is at, and who is now eligible to be vaccinated.
As the vaccination program starts to move into Phase 1b, which covers more than six million people, it’s essential people understand the facts about the vaccines as they make their appointments to get vaccinated. The more people are vaccinated, the more people are protected from severe illness and death, keeping themselves and the broader community safe,” says a media release from the Press Office of PM Scott Morrison.
Apart from fighting COVID-19 misinformation, PM Scott Morrison, today announced to invest more than $1.1 billion to extend our successful national COVID-19 health response and suppression strategy until 31 December 2021. This $1.1 billion is in addition to more than $22 billion spent in these areas to date, including more than $6 billion to support the COVID-19 vaccine roll out.
