Karlin Lillington: Why were groundless doubts on vaccine retweeted by believers in fact?
Confusion arose over claim in German media the AstraZeneca vaccine had very low efficacy in people over 65

Disinformation: So many of us who see ourselves as informed internet and social media users were fast to tweet the AstraZeneca story or seriously consider doing so. Photograph: iStock
Confusion this week over a claim in German media that the AstraZeneca vaccine had very low (8 per cent) efficacy in people over 65 – a claim quickly disputed by the company and various authorities – provides insights into how easily misinformation and disinformation spreads online.
I say this as someone who had a finger hovering over the “retweet” button on this story.