The unfortunate loss of 23-year-old Paloma Shemirani in July 2022 has sparked a national conversation in the UK. More than ever, Americans are looking closely at the harmful ways parental influence—particularly that stoked by conspiracy theories—can derail children’s health and safety. Paloma’s mother, Kate Shemirani, a former nurse who lost her medical license in 2021 due to spreading COVID-19 misinformation, has been implicated in her daughter’s decision to reject conventional medical treatment. An inquest into Paloma’s death revealed that she was “highly influenced” by her mother’s beliefs, as well as those of a family friend and her father.
The implications of the Inquest findings have raised grave concerns. They point to the growing, dangerous intersection of parental rights vs. child welfare in health care decision-making. Kate Shemirani has publicly blamed medical professionals for her daughter’s death, insisting that “Paloma died as a result of medical interventions given without confirmed diagnosis or lawful consent.” Her claims have taken root across the web, where she is the most followed American politician on social media site X, formerly Twitter, with more than 80,000 followers.
Paloma’s brother, Gabriel Shemirani, has been vocal about his hurt over the lies that were taught to them during their formative years. He attributes his sister’s choice to refuse chemotherapy to their mother’s conspiracy theories. Gabriel described his childhood as one engulfed in “outlandish misinformation about 9/11 and the Royal Family.” He feels that the environment created by their mother was a major factor that led to Paloma’s disheartening outcome.
The impact of Paloma’s death is deeply personal. At the same time, the UK is facing a public health emergency, as outbreaks of entirely preventable diseases are on the rise. In 2018, England recorded 2,911 confirmed cases of laboratory measles, the highest level since 2012. This year on its own has exceeded 700 cases, shining a light on the very real harms that result from vaccine hesitancy caused by misinformation. Scholarship indicates that the under 35 set is most susceptible to conspiracy theories. This underscores the fact that there is a demographic that is especially susceptible to such negative influences.
Liz O’Riordan, a former breast surgeon who is now focused on combatting health misinformation online. She eloquently explains the role social media algorithms play in the proliferation of these harmful narratives. She continues to say that these platforms have the ability to function like an “algorithmic rabbit hole” that further entrenches misinformation. O’Riordan has called for educational reforms to equip children with critical thinking skills necessary for interpreting medical claims they encounter online.
“We need to teach children at school how to interpret medical claims they see online, how to fact-check, think for themselves, not to trust everything they see or hear,” – Liz O’Riordan
While the inquest did rule that Kate Shemirani’s care for Paloma was “incomprehensible,” this did not amount to unlawfully killing her. Coroner Catherine Wood’s finding comes amid a national debate over parental rights and whether the state should intervene in children’s health care decisions. Former civil servant Iain Mansfield warned of the risk of authorities overstepping the mark when enforcing these issues.
“I think we need to err on the side of trusting parents here,” – Iain Mansfield
As the case of Paloma Shemirani highlights, the issue has raised demands to examine how misinformation is negatively impacting health. Michael Preston-Shoot, an expert in social work, noted that practitioners often struggle to reach individuals when misinformation acts as a barrier.
“Sadly there are too many cases where practitioners cannot reach individuals because somebody else is getting in the way,” – Michael Preston-Shoot
Gabriel Shemirani has been very vocal about the larger implications of his sister’s story. He thinks it’s time we think about how we treat conspiracy theorists and the narratives they spread.
“We as a society need to stop making conspiracy theorists into circus animals,” – Gabriel Shemirani
The implications of this case reach beyond one family’s dynamics and strike a chord with public health policy. She cautions that the consequences for unvaccinated children can be severe.
“We also need to realize, as well, that the road to becoming a conspiracy theorist is far shorter than you think,” – Gabriel Shemirani
Measles and other infectious diseases are on the rise. This wave has forced public health officials to reevaluate how they should address misinformation and encourage vaccination amongst youth. The data indicates that schools, more than any other places children learn, are uniquely positioned to influence children’s perceptions of medical misinformation.
“Unvaccinated children are dying from measles. Boys are infertile from mumps infections. Families will grow up not trusting medical doctors – they won’t go for screening tests… Cancers will be picked up at a later stage increasing the risk of recurrence,” – Liz O’Riordan
The resurgence of measles and other infectious diseases has prompted public health officials to reevaluate strategies for combating misinformation and encouraging vaccination among younger populations. The evidence suggests that educational institutions play a pivotal role in shaping children’s understanding of medical information.
