Brendan
Prast,
MD
Family physician and Preventive Medicine fellow at Maine Medical Center in Portland
Maine Medical Center
Brendan Prast is a family physician and preventive medicine fellow at Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine. He graduated from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, and completed residency at the Maine Medical Center Family Medicine Residency. His career interests include reproductive justice, substance use disorders, leadership training, advocacy, immigrant healthcare, and population-based research. He chose a career in Family and Preventive Medicine as it encompasses all the above. He has leadership roles in multiple regional and national advocacy and leadership organizations, and encourages others to find their voice as an advocate.
Presenting at the Nexus Summit:
Lightning Talk Description: Medical misinformation, disinformation, and vaccine hesitancy led to excess deaths and a public health crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to influence many individuals’ critical health decisions. Vaccine hesitancy is not unique to the pandemic, but social media has made it easier to spread misinformation and disinformation. The aims of this innovative academic/cross-institutional project were to gather information about the underlying sources of vaccine hesitancy and to create learning/communication tools to effectively address misinformation and…