Understanding Vaccine Hesitancy Research Articles

Health Security, Vaccine Hesitancy and Post-Truth: A Case of COVID-19 in Pakistan

Many existing studies and researches have shown the link between vaccine hesitancy and rurality. To test the validity of this assertion, this paper uses COVID-19 vaccine as a reference case and tries to understand vaccine hesitancy in urban communities through the conceptual lens of post-truth. The argument enunciated in the paper is based on data gathered through an online survey, conducted from May to October 2021. Thematically, this paper identified two themes: ‘mistrust’ and ‘misinformation’, revealing the coupling effect of the themes and the intersection of vaccine hesitancy and post-truth in two urban (Islamabad and Rawalpindi) communities of Pakistan. While the discussions were contextual, this paper epistemically shows that the reality of COVID-19 was blurred by misinformation which translated into cynicism, mistrust and hesitancy for COVID-19 vaccine and the outcome proved why health security must be taken seriously, especially in the post-truth era.

Understanding Vaccine Hesitancy with Application of Latent Dirichlet Allocation to Reddit Corpora

Objectives: To understand the vaccine-hesitant behavior among social media user cohorts; to identify the underlying factors that contribute to vaccine hesitancy; to help policymakers make informed decisions to improve the success rate of vaccination campaigns. Methods: Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA)—a popular topic modeling technique—was used to extract topics from the Reddit corpus on vaccine hesitancy discussion. The corpus was extracted from Reddit’s API using PRAW—The Python Reddit API Wrapper. The corpus contained 2996 comments, retrieved from the following subreddits:r/askreddit, r/antivax, r/antivaccine, and r/AntiVaxxers; determinants of Vaccine hesitancy were generated from the corpus using Standard LDA and Mallet LDA models. Findings: By applying Latent Dirichlet Allocation, we were able to identify the underlying factors that contribute either directly or indirectly toward vaccine-hesitant behavior. Some of the interesting factors of contribution include, but are not limited to rapture, depopulation agenda, the immigrant crisis at the Southern US border, etc. Given that the dataset we used contained a majority of input from people living in the United States, the results are rational; however, the same factors may or may not be contributors worldwide. The topics generated by the standard LDA were less precise and comprehensible than the topics generated by the mallet LDA model. Although a number of contributions have been made in this specific area i.e., understanding the vaccine-hesitant behavior, none report how political and religious factors contribute to the outcome. At a surface level, even though it is well-known that religious and political factors contribute to vaccine hesitancy, our unique Reddit corpus and the methodology as mentioned earlier let us identify fascinating and novel factors that have not been reported elsewhere. Novelty: Research to identify the factors that contribute toward vaccine hesitancy is fairly common, especially while the coronavirus pandemic was at its peak. Existing research works predominantly use surveys and other traditional methodologies to identify the factors that contribute toward the said phenomena. The application of Natural language Processing, viz., Latent Dirichlet Allocation could bring out the best latentvariables which cannot be identified using the aforementioned methodologies. This research is fairly novel by the methodology adopted and by the results obtained. Keywords: Vaccine hesitancy; Coronavirus; Latent Dirichlet Allocation; Bayesian Statistics; Reddit

Understanding Vaccine Hesitancy: Social Isolation in Relation to Social Media Addiction and COVID-19 Anxiety.

Despite significant advancements in immunization over the last century, vaccine hesitancy is a major threat to world health. Health-related information available from a variety of sources, including new media such as social media platforms, can encourage vaccine hesitancy. The aim of this study is to determine the level of vaccine hesitation among adults, specifically their belief in the advantages of vaccination and their perceptions of vaccine-related dangers in relation to social media addiction and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) anxiety. Between December 2021 and January 2022, 454 adults participated in an online cross-sectional survey consisting of the social media use disorder scale, the vaccine hesitancy scale, and the coronavirus anxiety scale. The results of the study revealed a strong correlation between social media addiction, vaccine hesitation, and COVID-19 anxiety. Given the potential for misinformation to spread through social media, especially in a situation like a pandemic, the conscious use of social media should be emphasized and anti-addiction measures are required. Novel programs including online interventions should be developed to promote vaccination among social media addicts who have relatively high vaccination hesitancy.

Understanding hesitancy with revealed preferences across COVID-19 vaccine types

Many countries have secured larger quantities of COVID-19 vaccines than their population is willing to take. The abundance and the large variety of vaccines created not only an unprecedented intensity of vaccine related public discourse, but also a historical moment to understand vaccine hesitancy better. Yet, the heterogeneity of hesitancy by vaccine types has been neglected in the existing literature so far. We address this problem by analysing the acceptance and the assessment of five vaccine types. We use information collected with a nationally representative survey at the end of the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary. During the vaccination campaign, individuals could reject the assigned vaccine to wait for a more preferred alternative that enables us to quantify revealed preferences across vaccine types. We find that hesitancy is heterogenous by vaccine types and is driven by individuals’ trusted source of information. Believers of conspiracy theories are more likely to evaluate the mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) unacceptable. Those who follow the advice of politicians are more likely to evaluate vector-based (AstraZeneca and Sputnik) or whole-virus vaccines (Sinopharm) acceptable. We argue that the greater selection of available vaccine types and the free choice of the individual are desirable conditions to increase the vaccination rate in societies.

What is more dangerous – the disease, the vaccine or the government? Using governmentality theory to understand vaccine hesitancy among Israeli citizens in times of corona

The Covid-19 pandemic and the introduction of the Covid-19 vaccine presented a rare opportunity to study risk perceptions that underline vaccine hesitancy and refusal (VHR). Drawing on Foucault’s governmentality theory, we aimed at studying the risk perceptions that underlie VHR in Israel by ascertaining why people decided not to be vaccinated against Covid-19. At the beginning of 2021, we conducted 20 semi-structured in-depth interviews with Israelis who decided not to be vaccinated against Covid-19. The interviews reveal a pervasive resistance to biopower. The interviewees believe that the Israeli government is driven by political interests and mistrust its collaboration with the big pharma companies that are suspected of furthering their own financial interests. Their mistrust manifests in allegations that the government conceals and manipulates data, and makes decisions in a non-transparent manner. The interviewees resist the Israeli government’s dangerous coercion and mistrust of its risk discourse. They express inverse risk considerations, perceiving the vaccine to be potentially dangerous, and the disease as less dangerous. Covid-19 VHR in Israel in particular, can be seen as resistance to perceived biopower, biopolitics, and bioeconomy, alongside a deconstruction of experts’ calculated risk that leads one back into uncertainty. In general, examining risk perceptions associated with vaccines through the lens of governmentality theory can help to better understand VHR, as well as other reactions to situations of risk, and to illustrate how people’s bodies become an arena for exercising power and negotiating risks.

Ten Actions to Counteract Vaccine Hesitancy Suggested by the Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine, and Public Health.

Vaccine hesitancy (VH) is one of the main causes of the widespread decline in vaccination coverage and has become the subject of ongoing debate among public health professionals. The present commentary is a “decalogue” of strategic actions to counteract vaccine hesitancy for public health professionals that comes from the cognitive and formative path put in place by the “Communication in Public Health” working group (WG) of the Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine, and Public Health. From the establishment of a national, multidisciplinary WG on VH to the activation of a national monitoring/surveillance system on vaccine hesitancy, several proposals are discussed. The identification and dissemination of good practices and tools to counteract and understand vaccine hesitancy, interdisciplinary training on vaccine hesitancy and on risk communication, community engagement and infodemiology, the inclusion of effective interventions to counteract vaccine hesitancy within the National Immunization Plan (NIP), the promotion and growth of a community of practice and research in the field of vaccine hesitancy, collaborations between scientific societies, and knowledge from the behavioral sciences represent other actions recommended in the present commentary. The present document suggests ten undeferrable strategies that could be implemented at the national and local levels in Italy, and that could be borrowed by other European countries in order to counteract vaccines hesitancy with a systematic and organic approach.

Opposing Role of Trust as a Modifier of COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake in an Indigenous Population.

Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders (NHPIs) were disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and remain significantly under-vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. To understand vaccine hesitancy, we surveyed 1124 adults residing in a region with one of the lowest vaccination rates in Hawaii during our COVID-19 testing program. Probit regression analysis revealed that race/ethnicity was not directly associated with the probability of vaccine uptake. Instead, a higher degree of trust in official sources of COVID-19 information increased the probability of vaccination by 20.68%, whereas a higher trust in unofficial sources decreased the probability of vaccination by 12.49% per unit of trust. These results revealed a dual and opposing role of trust on vaccine uptake. Interestingly, NHPIs were the only racial/ethnic group to exhibit a significant positive association between trust in and consumption of unofficial sources of COVID-19 information, which explained the vaccine hesitancy observed in this indigenous population. These results offer novel insight relevant to COVID-19 mitigation efforts in minority populations.

COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptability and Financial Incentives among Unhoused People in Los Angeles County: a Three-Stage Field Survey

Unhoused people have higher COVID-19 mortality and lower vaccine uptake than housed community members. Understanding vaccine hesitancy among unhoused people is key for developing programs that address their unique needs. A three-round, rapid, field-based survey was conducted to describe attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination. Round 1 assessed vaccine brand preference, round 2 assessed intention to accept a financial incentive for vaccination, and round 3 measured vaccine uptake and assessed reasons for vaccine readiness during implementation of a financial incentive program. A total of 5177 individuals were approached at COVID-19 vaccination events for unhoused people in Los Angeles County from May through November 2021. Analyses included 4949 individuals: 3636 (73.5%) unsheltered and 1313 (26.5%) sheltered. Per self-report, 2008 (40.6%) were already vaccinated, 1732 (35%) wanted to get vaccinated, 359 (7.3%) were not yet ready, and 850 (17.2%) did not want to get vaccinated. Brand preference was evenly split among participants (Moderna 31.0%, J&J 35.5%, either 33.5%, p = 0.74). Interest in a financial incentive differed between those who were not yet ready and those who did not want to get vaccinated (43.2% vs. 16.2%, p < 0.01). After implementing a financial incentive program, 97.4% of participants who indicated interest in vaccination were vaccinated that day; the financial incentive was the most cited reason for vaccine readiness (n = 731, 56%). This study demonstrated the utility of an iterative, field-based assessment for program implementation during the rapidly evolving pandemic. Personal engagement, a variety of brand choices, and financial incentives could be important for improving vaccine uptake among unhoused people.

149 Understanding vaccine hesitancy among underserved communities in South Florida – an effort by the Florida Community-Engaged Research Alliance Against COVID-19 in Disproportionately Affected Communities (FL-CEAL) to address vaccine uptake disparities in the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: The goal of this project is to understand vaccine hesitancy and barriers to COVID-19 vaccine uptake among underserved communities in South Florida, to promote vaccine awareness, and to tailor education and communication based on the findings, in partnership with local community-based organizations. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: By partnering with local community organizations, leaders, faith groups, and other trusted sources, the FL-CEAL teams will conduct a nationally developed CEAL survey in minority communities in South Florida to understand vaccine hesitancy and barriers, conduct outreach activities such as webinars and virtual townhalls to address hesitancy and promote vaccine uptake, and develop and disseminate educational materials and social media communications based on findings. The communities in South Florida include the Latinx farm working community, Latinx sexual/gender minorities, and Haitian and Black populations in South Florida. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Early findings have indicated that hesitancy drivers vary among specific communities, while lack of trust is an overall barrier. Over 100 outreach activities have been conducted, including events with subject matter experts and community partners addressing vaccines. A credit-earning Community Health Worker (CHW) curriculum on COVID vaccine hesitancy was created in partnership with the Miami CTSI and the Florida CHW Coalition and has been delivered to over 200 Florida CHWs. The training focuses on evidence-informed best practices for CHWs to increase vaccine acceptance. At least 350 surveys will be conducted to understand beliefs and concerns around COVID-19 vaccines, and tailor education materials and communication strategies. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: The FL-CEAL Alliance has successfully leveraged their ongoing state-wide effort at addressing COVID-19 disparities to focus on COVID vaccine hesitancy in minority communities and leveraged data and findings to inform community-specific approaches in addressing some of those barriers.

What causes COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy? Ignorance and the lack of bliss in the United Kingdom

Understanding vaccine hesitancy has become increasingly important during the COVID-19 pandemic as governments around the globe have been struggling to convince portions of their populations to participate in vaccination protocols. Here we report on a nationally representative survey of the United Kingdom in which data revealed that individuals showed more willingness to take fictitious vaccines (putatively produced by the US government Medicare program and the now defunct healthcare company Theranos) than to take the Sputnik and Sinovac vaccines (developed by the Russian and Chinese governments respectively). The data indicate that the critical factor in vaccine hesitancy among the respondents was anxiety rather than familiarity with vaccines.

Association of Vaccine Confidence and Hesitancy in Three Phases of COVID-19 Vaccine Approval and Introduction in Japan.

Understanding vaccine hesitancy, considering the target region and phase, is an urgent issue to quell the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. This study aimed to monitor COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the Japanese population during the three phases of vaccine approval and introduction, and evaluate the association of vaccine hesitancy with vaccine confidence and literacy. We conducted web-based cross-sectional surveys during the three phases of COVID-19 vaccine introduction: January 2021, before approval; June, start of vaccination of the elderly; and September, when about 70% of the target population was vaccinated with at least one dose. There were 7210 participants, aged 20–80 years. We evaluated the association of vaccine hesitancy with vaccine confidence and literacy in the three phases using multivariate logistic regression analysis. The proportion of hesitancy in January, June, and September was 17.5%, 65.3%, and 19.4%, respectively. In any phase, lower vaccine confidence and literacy showed a higher adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of vaccine hesitancy in most items (AOR > 1, p < 0.001). Vaccine hesitancy in June had a different trend in perception of COVID-19 compared to that in the January and September surveys. The findings suggested that hesitancy increases transiently during vaccination introduction phases, and changes as the vaccination program progressed or waves of epidemic. Careful risk communication to increase vaccine confidence and literacy is essential to reduce vaccine hesitancy, especially in the introduction phase.

Reasons for COVID-19 vaccine refusal among people incarcerated in Canadian federal prisons.

BackgroundVaccine uptake rates have been historically low in correctional settings. To better understand vaccine hesitancy in these high-risk settings, we explored reasons for COVID-19 vaccine refusal among people in federal prisons.MethodsThree maximum security all-male federal prisons in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario (Canada) were chosen, representing prisons with the highest proportions of COVID-19 vaccine refusal. Using a qualitative descriptive design and purposive sampling, individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with incarcerated people who had previously refused at least one COVID-19 vaccine until data saturation was achieved. An inductive–deductive thematic analysis of audio-recorded interview transcripts was conducted using the Conceptual Model of Vaccine Hesitancy.ResultsBetween May 19-July 8, 2021, 14 participants were interviewed (median age: 30 years; n = 7 Indigenous, n = 4 visible minority, n = 3 White). Individual-, interpersonal-, and system-level factors were identified. Three were particularly relevant to the correctional setting: 1) Risk perception: participants perceived that they were at lower risk of COVID-19 due to restricted visits and interactions; 2) Health care services in prison: participants reported feeling “punished” and stigmatized due to strict COVID-19 restrictions, and failed to identify personal benefits of vaccination due to the lack of incentives; 3) Universal distrust: participants expressed distrust in prison employees, including health care providers.InterpretationReasons for vaccine refusal among people in prison are multifaceted. Educational interventions could seek to address COVID-19 risk misconceptions in prison settings. However, impact may be limited if trust is not fostered and if incentives are not considered in vaccine promotion.

Vaccination conspiracy beliefs among social science & humanities and STEM educated people-An analysis of the mediation paths.

Understanding vaccine hesitancy is becoming increasingly important, especially after the global outbreak of COVID-19. The main goal of this study was to explore the differences in vaccination conspiracy beliefs between people with a university degree coming from different scientific fields-Social Sciences & Humanities (SH) and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The study was conducted on an online convenience sample of respondents with college and university degrees in Croatia (N = 577). The results revealed that respondents educated in SH proved to be more prone to vaccination conspiracy beliefs. The indirect effect through science literacy was confirmed, while this was not the case for the indirect effects through health beliefs (natural immunity beliefs) and trust in the healthcare system. However, all three variables were important direct predictors of vaccination conspiracy beliefs. Female gender and religiosity were positively correlated with vaccination conspiracy beliefs, while age was not a statistically significant predictor. The authors concluded by emphasizing the necessity of the more theoretically elaborated approaches to the study of the educational and other socio-demographic differences in vaccine hesitancy.

Public Preferences for a COVID-19 Vaccination Program in Quebec: A Discrete Choice Experiment.

ObjectivesWe aimed to elicit preferences of the French-speaking Quebec population regarding a COVID-19 vaccination program and to characterize individuals with respect to their vaccination behaviors.MethodsA discrete choice experiment was conducted in Autumn 2020 via a web-based survey. Its design included seven attributes: vaccine origin, vaccine effectiveness, side effects, protection duration, priority population, waiting time to get vaccinated, and recommender of the vaccine. Utilities were estimated using a mixed-logit model and a latent class logit model.ResultsOur sample included 1599 individuals. From this total, 119 always chose the opt-out option (7.4%). According to the mixed-logit model, the relative weights of attributes were as follows: effectiveness (28.48%), side effects (23.68%), protection duration (17.41%), vaccine origin (12.75%), recommender (11.96%), waiting time to get vaccinated (3.62%), and priority population (2.11%). Five classes were derived from the latent class logit model. Class 1 (9.13%) wanted to get vaccinated as fast as possible and was composed of uncertain and more vulnerable individuals. Class 5 (25.14%) was similar to the full sample, mostly favoring vaccination. Classes 2 (7.69%) and 4 (15.82%) included “vaccine hesitant and demanding” individuals but were different in their sociodemographic profiles. Finally, “anti-vaccine” and other “vaccine hesitant” individuals were in class 3 (42.21%).ConclusionsThis study showed the vaccine characteristics that are likely to improve vaccine uptake, which may more easily lead to herd immunity. Different profiles of respondents also showed various levels of acceptance toward a COVID-19 vaccination program, which may help to better understand vaccine hesitancy behaviors.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40273-021-01124-4.

Understanding Vaccine Hesitancy in US and UK Frontline Workers – the Role of Economic Risk

Understanding Vaccine Hesitancy in US and UK Frontline Workers – the Role of Economic Risk

Abstract PO-158: Influence of health beliefs on COVID-19 vaccination among patients with cancer and other comorbidities in Puerto Rico

Abstract Background: Ethnic minority populations are more likely to suffer from chronic comorbidities, making them more susceptible to the poor health outcomes associated with COVID-19 infection. Ensuring COVID-19 vaccination among vulnerable populations, such as cancer patients, is of utmost importance. Thus, we aimed to investigate health behaviors and perceptions related to COVID-19 vaccination among adults with cancer and other chronic comorbidities in Puerto Rico (PR). Methods: This secondary analysis used data from 1,911 participants who completed an online survey from December 2020 to February 2021. The Health Belief Model (HBM) was used to measure perceptions surrounding COVID-19 vaccination among individuals diagnosed with cancer, adults with other chronic comorbidities, and healthy adults. Multivariate logistic regression analyses assessed the associations of disease status (healthy, cancer diagnosis, other chronic conditions/comorbidities [excluding cancer]) with individual HBM constructs and vaccine intent, while adjusting for age, sex, education, income, employment status, influenza vaccine, health literacy, and religiosity. Results: Among study participants, 76% were female, 34% greater than or equal to 50 years old, 5% had a cancer diagnosis, and 70% had other chronic conditions/comorbidities. Participants with a cancer diagnosis had significantly higher odds of getting vaccinated when the vaccine was made available to them compared to healthy individuals (OR: 2.08 95%CI: 1.00-4.30). Compared to healthy participants, those diagnosed with cancer and those with other chronic conditions other than cancer had higher odds of perceiving their chance of getting COVID-19 as high (OR: 1.63 95%CI: 1.01-1.62; OR: 1.39 95%CI: 1.11-1.73), believed getting COVID-19 was a possibility for them (OR: 1.94 95%CI: 1.16-3.25; OR: 1.56 95%CI: 1.24-1.97), perceived they would get very sick if infected with COVID-19 (OR: 4.18 95%CI: 2.30-7.58; OR: 1.83 95%CI: 1.47-2.28), and were afraid of COVID-19 (OR 2.51: 95%CI: 1.18-5.35; OR 1.67: 95%CI: 1.25-2.22). Individuals with other chronic comorbidities also had increased odds of perceiving that COVID-19 side effects would interfere with their usual activities (OR: 1.32 95%CI: 1.06-1.64), worrying about their likelihood of getting COVID-19 (OR: 1.63 95%CI: 1.09-2.44), and taking the vaccine regardless of the information provided (OR: 1.42 95%CI: 1.14-1.77). COVID-19 vaccine safety was the main reason for vaccine hesitancy among all participants. Discussion: Understanding vaccine hesitancy and willingness is essential in creating effective vaccine promotion programs and informing health policy. Our findings elucidate the effect of disease status on health-related decision making and isolate what steps can be taken to increase vaccine uptake among vulnerable ethnic minority populations. Acknowledgements: This work was supported by Award Grant R25CA240120 and RCMI grant U54-MD007600. Citation Format: McClaren Rodriguez, Andrea López-Cepero, Ana Patricia Ortiz, Emma Fernández-Repollet, Cynthia Pérez. Influence of health beliefs on COVID-19 vaccination among patients with cancer and other comorbidities in Puerto Rico [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Conference: 14th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2021 Oct 6-8. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2022;31(1 Suppl):Abstract nr PO-158.

Characterizing Patients and Themes of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Hesitancy in a New York City High-Risk Older Population

Background: Vaccines to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection are deemed one of the most promising measures in controlling the devastating pandemic, yet there is significant vaccine hesitancy in some communities. Historic systemic health, discrimination, and structural inequities in specific racial and ethnic communities contribute to vaccine hesitancy with disproportionately negative impact. It is therefore critical to better understand vaccine hesitancy in this high-risk older population. The ALIGN (Acute Life Interventions, Goals, and Needs) program co-manages a panel of older patients with complex medical and psychosocial needs in an urban academic medical center. Methods: ALIGN enrolled or graduated Patients or designated healthcare proxies were contacted by telephone to discuss SARS-CoV-2 vaccine willingness and hesitancy using a standardized web-based survey. Qualitative data was categorized into themes and subgroups. Demographic data was collected by chart review. Results: Complete results are forthcoming and will include patient reported race and ethnicity baseline, vaccine hesitancy perceptions, with common overarching themes, and clinical team member debriefing. Iterative quality improvement actions taken based on elicited patient themes will also be included and assessed in telephone follow-up for changes in vaccine hesitancy. Conclusions: We are conducting a qualitative and quality improvement study characterizing vaccine perceptions and hesitancy in a high-risk older group with focus on racial and ethnic disparities in this population. This preliminary data informs healthcare providers of potential health literacy, cultural and language, and other potential barriers in order to help further understand how to optimize SARS-CoV-2 vaccine acceptance and delivery in a patient population with elevated risk.

Determinants of COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy: A Cross-Sectional Study on a Mexican Population Using an Online Questionnaire (COV-AHQ).

Mexico has become one of the most highly affected countries by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Latin America. Therefore, efficient vaccination programs are needed to address COVID-19 pandemic. Although recent advances around the world have made it possible to develop vaccines in record time, there has been increasing fear and misinformation around the vaccines. Hence, understanding vaccine hesitancy is imperative for modeling successful vaccination strategies. In this study, we analyzed the attitude and perceptions toward COVID-19 vaccination, in a Mexican population (n = 1,512), using the proposed COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance and Hesitancy Questionnaire (COV-AHQ) (Cronbach's alpha > 0.8), which evaluates a mild perception of danger and contamination with respect to COVID-19, a moderate perception of xenophobia generated throughout COVID-19 quarantine, fear of adverse effects of COVID-19 vaccination, and hesitancy of parent toward vaccination of children; furthermore, a section including sociodemographic variables was included. According to the results of this study, the statistical correlation analysis of the general vaccination posture seems to correlate significantly (p < 0.05) with a mild perception of danger and contamination with respect to COVID-19, a moderate perception of xenophobia generated throughout COVID-19 quarantine, hesitancy of parent toward vaccination of children, willingness to get COVID-19 vaccine, previous influenza vaccination, perception of the vaccine that could help the economy of country, occupation, gender, age, and participants actively researching COVID-19 vaccine information. An in-depth analysis assisted by binary logistic regression concluded that the young adult population around ages 18–34 years are the most likely to get vaccinated. This posture seems to be highly influenced by a mild perception of danger and contamination with respect to COVID-19, a moderate perception of xenophobia generated throughout COVID-19 quarantine, fear of adverse effects of COVID-19 vaccination, and hesitancy of parents toward vaccination of children. While their own personal religious beliefs and economic status, the level of education does not seem to have an effect on the willingness to get vaccinated neither did having a previous COVID-19 diagnosis or even knowing someone with a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. Health authorities and policymakers could use the results of this study to aid in modeling vaccination programs and strategies and identify population groups with high vaccine hesitancy prevalence and assess significant public health issues.

Rotavirus and the web: analysis of online conversations in Italy during 2020

ABSTRACT Rotavirus is the most common cause of severe diarrhea among children worldwide. In 2017, Italy included rotavirus vaccination in its National Immunization Program. The use of social media monitoring, an efficient tool to understand vaccine hesitancy, has increased in recent years; however, only a few examples of such monitoring are available for Italy. Present study analyzed content on online sources, including social media, to identify factors contributing to Italian parents’ decisions to vaccinate or not their children against rotavirus. Blogmeter Suite was used to search and analyze conversations related to rotavirus in Italian on online sources during 2020. These data were compared with data from 2019. There were 2250 mentions of “rotavirus” recorded; 1080 were related to the rotavirus vaccine. Terms and hashtags used were similar in both years. Facebook was the main source of influence, Instagram dominated the engagement (the sum of interactions related to a post), and Google Trends showed a 5-year upward trend in searches for rotavirus vaccine. Of 1270 sentiment opinions, 60.7% were negative. More parents were familiar with the disease and the vaccine in 2020 compared with 2019. Pediatricians were the most influential healthcare professionals (59.2% of mentions), followed by vaccination staff (33.4%). The most relevant factors for vaccine hesitancy were fear of adverse events, concerns about the vaccination schedule, and COVID-19. Present study represents the first web listening analysis of online discussions about rotavirus. The results can be used to inform targeted communication to counteract misinformation and raise awareness about rotavirus vaccination among parents.

COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy on Social Media: Building a Public Twitter Data Set of Antivaccine Content, Vaccine Misinformation, and Conspiracies.

BackgroundFalse claims about COVID-19 vaccines can undermine public trust in ongoing vaccination campaigns, posing a threat to global public health. Misinformation originating from various sources has been spreading on the web since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Antivaccine activists have also begun to use platforms such as Twitter to promote their views. To properly understand the phenomenon of vaccine hesitancy through the lens of social media, it is of great importance to gather the relevant data.ObjectiveIn this paper, we describe a data set of Twitter posts and Twitter accounts that publicly exhibit a strong antivaccine stance. The data set is made available to the research community via our AvaxTweets data set GitHub repository. We characterize the collected accounts in terms of prominent hashtags, shared news sources, and most likely political leaning.MethodsWe started the ongoing data collection on October 18, 2020, leveraging the Twitter streaming application programming interface (API) to follow a set of specific antivaccine-related keywords. Then, we collected the historical tweets of the set of accounts that engaged in spreading antivaccination narratives between October 2020 and December 2020, leveraging the Academic Track Twitter API. The political leaning of the accounts was estimated by measuring the political bias of the media outlets they shared.ResultsWe gathered two curated Twitter data collections and made them publicly available: (1) a streaming keyword–centered data collection with more than 1.8 million tweets, and (2) a historical account–level data collection with more than 135 million tweets. The accounts engaged in the antivaccination narratives lean to the right (conservative) direction of the political spectrum. The vaccine hesitancy is fueled by misinformation originating from websites with already questionable credibility.ConclusionsThe vaccine-related misinformation on social media may exacerbate the levels of vaccine hesitancy, hampering progress toward vaccine-induced herd immunity, and could potentially increase the number of infections related to new COVID-19 variants. For these reasons, understanding vaccine hesitancy through the lens of social media is of paramount importance. Because data access is the first obstacle to attain this goal, we published a data set that can be used in studying antivaccine misinformation on social media and enable a better understanding of vaccine hesitancy.