A comprehensive new report titled Health Disinformation in 2025 in the Polish Infosphere, published by the National Research Institute (NASK), reveals that health-related misinformation reached alarming levels in Poland throughout the past year. As part of the Central European Digital Media Observatory (CEDMO) project, the study identifies that health education, reproductive rights, abortion, and vaccinations were the primary targets of coordinated online disinformation campaigns. The findings underscore a dangerous trend where health topics are not merely subjects of medical debate but are increasingly weaponized to influence political landscapes and manipulate social ideology.
The research highlights two distinct operational models employed by disinformation actors. The first model involves the adaptation of well-worn falshoods to fit contemporary events, a strategy most frequently applied to narratives concerning autism and infectious diseases. Disinformants have grown increasingly sophisticated, often utilizing “pseudo-science”—such as non-peer-reviewed preprints or articles that mimic the formatting of legitimate medical research—to lend a veneer of credibility to false claims. Expert Karina Stasiuk-Krajewska of SWPS University notes that these actors now proficiently impersonate evidence-based medicine, forcing readers to possess a deep understanding of scientific publication mechanics to spot the manipulation.
The second, perhaps more pervasive, trend involves subsuming medical reality under political and ideological agendas. Issues such as mandatory vaccinations, reproductive rights, and health education were consistently reframed to prioritize emotional provocation over clinical fact. According to Katarzyna Lipka of NASK, these narratives are engineered specifically to exacerbate social divisions and polarize the public. By employing “calls to action” that encourage real-world intervention, these misinformation campaigns move beyond simple social media discourse, frequently spilling into civic life and public policy debates.
Health education, in particular, became a flashpoint during Poland’s 2025 presidential election cycle. The report documents how emotionally charged rhetoric—utilizing polarizing terms such as “sexual depravity” or the “ideologisation” of schools—was deployed to rally conservative and religious cohorts under the guise of protecting children. While these claims bore little relation to the actual content of educational programs, the narrative was highly effective in driving mass engagement, resulting in an estimated 7.45 billion views and over 34,000 mentions throughout the period of the study.
Vaccination discourse also remained a persistent battlefield for disinformation throughout the year. The report indicates that false narratives often surged in response to international political developments, including the inauguration of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as U.S. health secretary, which revitalized debunked theories about mRNA vaccines. Misinformation characterizing these vaccines as hazardous “gene therapy” or medical experiments circulated widely, gaining significant traction. Beyond vaccines, other sensitive fields including oncology, mammography, and public health responses to outbreaks like diphtheria were also subjected to intense distortions.
To orchestrate these campaigns, the report identifies a varied ecosystem of bad actors ranging from anonymous trolls to influential “fake experts.” These figures often exploit academic titles or past professional history to masquerade as medical authorities, even when they lack relevant, up-to-date expertise. A particularly concerning segment identified by researchers includes medical professionals with revoked or suspended licenses who brand themselves as “persecuted truth-tellers.” By framing their professional disgrace as evidence of institutional suppression, these individuals effectively monetize disinformation through the sale of alternative therapies, supplements, and paid consultations, further eroding public trust in established healthcare systems.