Despite their life saving potential, many prominent voices in American public life have used their social and political platforms to spread misinformation about mRNA vaccine safety and efficacy. In this talk, Dr. Motta provides new evidence that “mRNA vaccine stigmatization” is evident in the actions of policymakers across multiple levels of government. He also reviews the state of public opinion about mRNA vaccines, drawing on both original and secondary survey research. He argues that although it is presently unclear whether elites’ efforts to stigmatize mRNA vaccines has spilled over to impact broader US public opinion, there is growing reason to believe that it will. Ultimately, Motta concludes that mRNA vaccine stigmatization could come at an important cost; both by eroding public confidence in mRNA vaccination, and by limiting access to life-saving vaccines.

Matt Motta, PhD is an associate professor in the Department of Health Law, Policy, & Management at the Boston University School of Public Health. He is also affiliated research faculty at the TH Chan School of Public Health at Harvard, and a faculty affiliate in the Department of Political Science at Boston University. His research aims to study the prevalence, causes, and health policy impact of anti-science attitudes in the US. He also designs strategic health communication messages aimed at countering misinformation and promoting evidence-based health policy. His research has been published in journals across the social and medical sciences, and has been featured in popular press outlets like The New York Times, Scientific American, NPR, and The Atlantic. Motta is the author of Anti-Scientific Americans (Oxford University Press, 2024).