The Impact of Social Media on COVID-19 Vaccination Hesitancy in Asia: A Narrative Review

Healthcare providers and policymakers are encouraged to actively engage with social media platforms. Relying solely on information from these platforms, rather than official sources, during the COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased vaccine hesitancy in the Asia region. This phenomenon, known as an ‘infodemic,’ has flooded both digital and physical environments with an overwhelming amount of information, some of which is inaccurate and misleading.

Dr. Latika Gupta and her team at the University of Manchester, UK, have published a paper titled ‘The Impact of Social Media on Vaccination: A Narrative Review’ in the October issue of JKMS (Journal of the Korean Medical Society). Through their analysis, they discovered nine empirical studies and five additional vaccination-related papers that shed light on the effects of social media on vaccine uptake.

One study conducted in Saudi Arabia revealed that the use of social media platforms for vaccine-related information significantly increased following the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the researchers found that when individuals trust information on social media, they often develop negative attitudes towards vaccines. This was observed in studies from Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, and China. Furthermore, the willingness to be vaccinated differed between those who relied on official information and those who relied on social media platforms, as demonstrated by research conducted in Lebanon, Japan, and Mongolia.

These findings align with previous Western research, which has shown that higher levels of social media use are associated with more negative attitudes towards childhood vaccination and COVID-19 vaccination. The research team also noted similar patterns regarding other types of vaccines, such as polio, measles, and human papillomavirus.

The research team emphasized the potential of social media platforms as powerful tools for healthcare providers and policymakers to promote informed decision-making. They believe that utilizing these platforms effectively can contribute to an informed population and improved vaccination rates in Asia.

Considering the most popular social media platforms in Asia, the team found that Facebook is the most widely used, followed by YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram. In China, where certain platforms are banned, Sina Weibo stands as the most popular social media platform, boasting 248 million users in 2021.

In conclusion, healthcare providers and policymakers should recognize the influence of social media and actively engage in these platforms to ensure accurate information reaches the public. By utilizing social media effectively, they can help combat vaccine hesitancy and promote informed decision-making in Asia and beyond.

Health care providers and policy makers should actively use social media.

In the Asia region, people who relied on information from social media platforms (SMP) rather than official information during the coronavirus pandemic were found to be more hesitant to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, an ‘infodemic’ has emerged, characterized by an overwhelming amount of information, including inaccurate and misleading content, in digital and physical environments.

In relation to this, the team of Dr. Latika Gupta at the University of Manchester, UK, a paper called ‘The Impact of Social Media on Vaccination: A Narrative Review’ published in the October issue of JKMS (Journal of the Korean Medical Society) and found 9 empirical studies related to this and 5 other papers related to vaccination published the results of the analysis.

▲ Source: Gupta et al (2023). The impact of social media on vaccination: A narrative review. There is JKMS 2023-10.

An analysis of nine English-language empirical studies examining how social media influenced intentions to get the coronavirus vaccine showed that the use of social media platforms (SMPs) for vaccine-related information increased significantly after the coronavirus pandemic (Saudi Arabia study).

When people trust SMP, they become negative about vaccines (study in Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, China), and the willingness to be vaccinated differs between those who rely on official information and those who rely on SMP (Lebanon, Japan) information. , Mongolia) research) was conducted.

This is consistent with Western research showing that higher levels of social media use are associated with higher negative attitudes towards childhood vaccination and COVID-19 vaccination, the research team said.

Similar patterns were seen in other papers that looked at willingness to accept other types of vaccines, including polio, measles, and human papillomavirus, and reliance on SMPs, the research team said.

“SMPs can be a powerful tool for health care providers and policy makers to promote informed decision-making,” the research team said. informed population and vaccination in Asia,” he suggested.

Meanwhile, according to the research team, in January 2022, the most used SMP in Asia is Facebook, followed by YouTube, Twitter and Instagram.

The most used social media in China, where other popular platforms are banned, is Sina Weibo, with 248 million users in 2021.

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