Researchers in Canada looked at 153 YouTube videos about vaccination and immunization. They found that over half of the videos published childhood, flu and HPV vaccines in a negative or ambiguous light. Forty-five of them contradict recommendations contained in the Canadian Immunization Guide (2006). Videos that portray vaccinations in a negative light receive significantly more traffic than those that portray them in a positive light

Since YouTube is increasingly a resource people consult for health information, it is concerning that a significant amount of immunization content contradicts the nation’s reference standard.

YouTube is simply a venue for information… as is the radio, newspaper, magazine, and TV. It is a venue that allows syndication of the people… and is filled with helpful, as well as silly, commercialized, bogus, exaggerated, biased, and simply incorrect content – mirroring every branch of the media. I doubt that the ‘anti-vaccination’ YouTube popularity will result in a public health crisis. It is likely a curiosity amongst viewers, and it is being viewed because it is a different viewpoint than you will get when you visit your physician.

What would we like to see? Residency programs should consider taking the initiative to fill YouTube with helpful content that patients and colleagues will find enjoyable to watch. And while they are at it… they should make it their responsibility to correct, update, and monitor other public sources like wikipedia. As respectable organizations begin to take the lead in bringing trustworthy, reliable, informative, and interesting content to viewers, we will all be better off.