The Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure has adopted a new policy that could lead to physicians losing their medical license as a punishment for spreading misinformation.
In step with guidance issued by the Federation of State Medical Boards, the MSBML policy states that “physicians who generate and spread COVID-19 vaccine misinformation or disinformation” are risking disciplinary action by state medical boards, including the suspension or revocation of their medical license.
“Due to their specialized knowledge and training, licensed physicians possess a high degree of public trust and therefore have a powerful platform in society, whether they recognize it or not. They also have an ethical and professional responsibility to practice medicine in the best interests of their patients and must share information that is factual, scientifically grounded and consensus-driven for the betterment of public health. Spreading inaccurate COVID-19 vaccine information contradicts that responsibility, threatens to further erode public trust in the medical profession and puts all patients at risk,” the policy reads.
The Board also stated that the policy is not limited to information regarding the COVID-19 vaccine and recommends that physicians separate their personal and professional content on social media.
