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A second-order conspiracy (SOC) is a conspiracy that aims to create (and typically also disseminate) a conspiracy theory. Second-order conspiracy theories (SOCT) are theories that explain the occurrence of a given conspiracy theory by appeal to a conspiracy. In this paper I argue that SOC and SOCT are useful and coherent concepts, while also having numerous philosophically interesting upshots (in terms of epistemology, explanation, and prediction). Secondly, I appeal to the nature of two specific kinds of second-order conspiracies to make the case for what has been called ‘local generalism’ (Stamatiadis-Bréhier 2023a). Specifically, I focus on so-called ‘denial industries’ to argue that the structure of these second-order conspiracies allows us to infer non-accidental generalisations about the domain of conspiracy theories. Even though it is true that there is nothing epistemically problematic with the general class of conspiracy theories, there are specific subsets of conspiracy theories that warrant immediate strong suspicion (cf. Dentith 2022). By looking at the intricate mechanisms by which these denial industries operate, we can infer that the conspiracy theories that are produced by them are epistemically unwarranted. I conclude by making some exploratory remarks about what the metaphysics of second-order conspiracies would look like. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the public discourse about vaccines on Twitter during the COVID-19 pandemic and compares it with the discourses about vaccines before the pandemic. Discourse, users’ profile, content, tone, vaccines, and sources of information were manually coded. We have identified a diversity of discourses related to vaccines. The discourse that has stood out the most during the pandemic is related to pandemic management measures. Nevertheless, both denialist and anti-denialist discourses are reduced compared to the previous period. Besides this, less polarization and more neutral discourse were identified during the pandemic. The two periods are expressly marked by tweets with content related to opinions and personal experiences regarding vaccines. Some of them are characterized, in general, by informality in how the users communicate their ideas. Interestingly, users from the medical-scientific sphere did not participate more in Twitter during the pandemic. There were fewer posts including scientific findings and more tweets about patient resources. On the other hand, the media and journalists were very active in this period by disseminating information and issuing vaccine opinions, reflecting their essential role in health crises. However, the presence of television channels, such as Fox News, can be an indication of conservative ideas on vaccines. Thus, the discourses have expressed different meanings in relation to the issue and disputed their legitimacy in this symbolic and virtual market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research aimed to identify the behavior of organizations promoting vaccine rejection through Facebook in the context of the Covid-19 vaccination campaign. To achieve the study's purpose, the posts with the highest number of reactions on Facebook were observed and analyzed, as well as the content of these posts and the ways in which anti-vaccine organizations presented their messages on their fan pages. A digital social listening tool was used to analyze the data, providing information on the ranking of published messages, interactions reached, and sentiment assessments. The research found that anti-vaccine organizations used Facebook as one of the communication channels to disseminate messages that contradicted health measures, questioned the legality of vaccination, and opposed the use of masks. In other words, this social network served as a platform to spread messages that distorted the truth of the facts and encouraged various actions against vaccination campaigns. Therefore, during the Covid-19 pandemic, this social network became a crucial information medium for the population, but it was also the most used medium by anti-vaccine organizations to spread misinformation and generate negative emotions among users, ultimately eroding their trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the public discourse about vaccines on Twitter during the COVID-19 pandemic and compares it with the discourses about vaccines before the pandemic. Discourse, users’ profile, content, tone, vaccines, and sources of information were manually coded. We have identified a diversity of discourses related to vaccines. The discourse that has stood out the most during the pandemic is related to pandemic management measures. Nevertheless, both denialist and anti-denialist discourses are reduced compared to the previous period. Besides this, less polarization and more neutral discourse were identified during the pandemic. The two periods are expressly marked by tweets with content related to opinions and personal experiences regarding vaccines. Some of them are characterized, in general, by informality in how the users communicate their ideas. Interestingly, users from the medical-scientific sphere did not participate more in Twitter during the pandemic. There were fewer posts including scientific findings and more tweets about patient resources. On the other hand, the media and journalists were very active in this period by disseminating information and issuing vaccine opinions, reflecting their essential role in health crises. However, the presence of television channels, such as Fox News, can be an indication of conservative ideas on vaccines. Thus, the discourses have expressed different meanings in relation to the issue and disputed their legitimacy in this symbolic and virtual market.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an observed increase in anti-vaccine sentiment linked with requirements for the vaccines. But how did these ideas impact the politics of vaccines? In this paper, the authors analyze witness statements from the 2021 Texas Legislative Session during vaccine-related hearings. Specifically, the research focused on five hearings for bills that related to vaccine requirements or vaccine transparency laws filed during the 2021Texas Legislative Session and witnesses who opposed these measures. From the 128 witnesses cataloged and analyzed, we found 84 witnesses opposed to vaccines. Medical freedom and the right to opt-out of a medical procedure as well as concerns about vaccine safety and effectiveness were most frequently used by witnesses to justify their stance against vaccine requirements or vaccines. While some witnesses were opposed to all vaccines, most focused their objections on the COVID-19 vaccine specifically.

Copyright of Anuario Turismo y Sociedad is the property of Universidad Externado de Colombia, Facultad de Empresas Turísticas y Hoteleras and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Churches have always been regarded as a safe haven during calamities. This changed during COVID-19 lockdown when churches were forced to shut down. The COVID-19 pandemic has posed a new normal to the world at large, calling for immediate action from authorities and introducing vaccination as an antidote. However, some religious practitioners as a vehicle of change through the institution of the church have been acting on the contrary because it discourages the uptake of vaccines, leading to vaccine hesitancy. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy has been observed in the Christian community because Christians use Bible verses as a scapegoat for not getting a jab. There is a chasm that exists between faith and science, and it perpetuates the discourse of vaccine hesitancy. Contributions: This article applies a qualitative descriptive phenomenological approach and seeks to address the conspiracy theories and the use of Bible verses as discourse on vaccine uptake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media has played an important role in the Covid-19 vaccine opposition during the pandemic process. In this regard, the messages that spread rapidly through the Twitter environment by means of trolls and bots have the potential to endanger human and public health. For this reason, the common features of troll accounts should be revealed. This will create awareness among users. Starting from this problem, first of all, bots were removed from anti-vaccine troll accounts and the interaction rate on the remaining ones was calculated. Then, the median of the relevant ratio was taken to determine the distribution of the interaction groups according to the interaction rate. Thus, 4 distributed interaction groups were identified as low-medium-high-very high. Finally, the differences between these interaction groups in various aspects -which are referred to as common features - were calculated with the Anova Test, thus revealing the status of those with very high interaction compared to other interaction groups. According to the results, antivaccine trolls tried to influence Twitter users by using ways such as tweeting a lot, having the potential to receive a large number of retweets, using a large number of hashtags, and spreading the posts over a wide time period. It is important to determine the common features in order for users to be able to observe the trolls in question and to act accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Churches have always been regarded as a safe haven during calamities. This changed during COVID-19 lockdown when churches were forced to shut down. The COVID-19 pandemic has posed a new normal to the world at large, calling for immediate action from authorities and introducing vaccination as an antidote. However, some religious practitioners as a vehicle of change through the institution of the church have been acting on the contrary because it discourages the uptake of vaccines, leading to vaccine hesitancy. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy has been observed in the Christian community because Christians use Bible verses as a scapegoat for not getting a jab. There is a chasm that exists between faith and science, and it perpetuates the discourse of vaccine hesitancy. Contributions: This article applies a qualitative descriptive phenomenological approach and seeks to address the conspiracy theories and the use of Bible verses as discourse on vaccine uptake.

Copyright of Izmir Katip Celebi University Faculty of Health Sciences Journal / İzmir Katip Çelebi Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesi Dergisi is the property of Izmir Katip Celebi University, Faculty of Health Sciene Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Turkiye Klinikleri Journal of Health Sciences / Türkiye Klinikleri Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi is the property of Turkiye Klinikleri and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of SDU Health Management Journal is the property of SDU Healthcare Management Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Mersin Üniversitesi sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi is the property of Mersin University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Online anti-vaccination rhetoric has produced far reaching negative health consequences. Persons who endorse anti-vaccination attitudes may employ less analytical reasoning when problem solving. Considering limitations in previous research, we used an online web-based survey (n = 760; mean age = 47.69; 388 males, 372 females) to address this question. Analytical reasoning was negatively correlated with anti-vaccination attitudes (r = −.18, p <.0001). This relationship remained significant after statistically controlling for potential confounders, including age, sex, education, and religiosity (r = −.16, p <.0001). We hope that elucidating the cognitive, non-information-based aspects of anti-vaccination attitudes will help to guide effective educational interventions aimed at improving public health in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to examine the anti-vaccine discourses on social media and to reveal the reasons for the rejection of the vaccine. In this regard, 19,435 tweets posted with the hashtag "#HaddiBilAzizSancar" on Twitter between 19-21 February 2022 were shot that used by the NodeXL Pro version. This data is divided into classes, 5193 tweets emerged. When retweets and non-relevant tweets were removed from 5193 tweets, 1163 tweets are obtained to be analyzed. Afterward, these tweets are divided into certain categories considering their content and interpreted the descriptive analysis method. At the same time, the study is supported by an evaluation made on the network visualization program whose name is NodeXL of the hashtag “#HaddiBilAzizSancar” As a result of the analysis, it is concluded that people reject the vaccines on the grounds of prejudice against the contents of the vaccines, the claim that there are conspiracy theories behind the vaccination, and on religious grounds. In addition, in some of the tweets, it is seen that people were not only anti-vaccination but also anti- pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El último caso de viruela, la peor plaga que ha enfrentado la humanidad, fue diagnosticado hace 45 años y con él la enfermedad fue erradicada del planeta. Una hazaña épica iniciada a finales del siglo XVIII por Edward Jenner, el hombre que inoculó a su propio hijo con el pus de las lesiones de una ordeñadora que sufría viruela bovina, una enfermedad benigna antigénicamente relacionada con la viruela y que le confería inmunidad. Pocos años más tarde, en 1803, partía de España la "Real expedición filantrópica de la vacuna", llevando la vacuna a América y Asia, transportándola de brazo en brazo. A pesar del éxito de la vacuna, Jenner y la sociedad victoriana sufrieron los primeros movimientos antivacunas que hoy, en el contexto de la pandemia delCOVID-19, son catapultados por los sitios de noticias falsas que socaban el conocimiento científico.

The idea that vaccines are not safe is spreading more and more through "anti-vaccine" movements. It is necessary to develop communication campaigns that counteract the effects of these anti-vaccine messages, investigating the underlying psychosocial mechanisms and for this, this research proposes a very novel hypothesis: the psychophysiological responses that a campaign of this type provokes can be assimilated to the pattern of orientation responses (RD) and defense (RD) proposed by Pavlov (1910): alteration of brain waves, modification of dermoelectric response, heart rate, micro-expressions (muscular), focal attention eye movements, etc. These responses act as a "pattern": they respond jointly and in a similar direction. If this hypothesis is correct, threatening messages will generate RD while non-threatening messages will generate RO. A pilot experiment is carried out using a factorial design of independent measures, where the main factor is "type of message framing" (loss vs. gain) and the dependent variables are the "psychophysiological records of the OR/RD" (Electroencephalogram (EEG), Galvanic Skin Response (GSR), Eye Tracking and Muscular Facial Expression). The results allow us to validate the hypothesis: gain messages cause RO and loss messages cause RD. These results are very relevant for the implementation of health communication campaigns: vaccination campaigns among the young population should be built from a profit frame, which will generate a much more effective RO pattern to achieve persuasion than the DR pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Tetanus, a vaccine-preventable disease, still has the potential to threaten human health. Immunization, especially in pregnant women, is critical as it protects both mother and baby. This study aims to evaluate the tetanus immunization status of pregnant women, their approach to the vaccine, and the factors affecting these. Methods: A 19-item questionnaire was applied to pregnant women from all over Turkey who applied to the hospital for any reason and agreed to participate. Results: A total of5000 pregnant women from seven geographical regions, aged between 15 and 44 (mean 28±5.7) and whose gestational age was between 8 and 40 weeks (mean 22.07±8.5), participated in the study. %88.2 of them did not get vaccinated in their current pregnancy, and %23.2 of them didnt plan to get vaccinated. When the reasons for not being vaccinated were questioned, %28.6 and %15.4 of them were afraid of side effects and harming the baby, respectively. In addition, %23.9 of them thought they didn't need to be vaccinated, and %7.1 of them stated that the vaccine didn't provide any protection. In univariate analysis, regions, age, gestational week, and the number of pregnancies resulting in delivery were found as factors that statistically significantly affected getting vaccinated, but in multivariate analysis, gestational week, education until secondary school, being followed by a family physician, history of more than three pregnancies, and being vaccinated in a previous pregnancy was found as an independent factor. Conclusions: Neonatal tetanus should be prevented not only because of its high mortality but also, the sequelae, and it can be prevented, minimized, or even completely eradicated by vaccination of pregnant women. For this purpose, every pregnant woman should be informed, and education and counseling support should be provided for vaccination against tetanus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even though vaccination is the most effective measure against COVID-19 infections, vaccine rollout efforts have been hampered by growing anti-vaccine attitudes. Based on current knowledge, we identified three domains (beliefs, discrimination, and news) as our correlates of primary interest to examine the association with anti-vaccine attitudes. This is one of the first studies to examine key correlates of anti-vaccine attitudes during the critical early stages of vaccine implementation in the United States. An online survey was administered in May 2021 to a non-representative, nationally based sample of adults (N = 789). Using multivariable logistic regression analysis, we found that individuals who expressed worry about COVID-19 (OR = 0.34, 95% CI 0.21, 0.55) and had greater knowledge of COVID-19 (OR = 0.50, 95% CI 0.25, 0.99) were less likely to hold anti-vaccine attitudes. Conversely, individuals who held stigmatizing views of COVID-19 (OR = 2.47, 95% CI 1.53, 3.99), had experienced racial discrimination (OR = 2.14, 95% CI 1.25, 3.67) and discrimination related to COVID-19 (OR = 2.84, 95% CI 1.54, 5.24), and who had been watching Fox News (OR = 3.95, 95% CI 2.61, 5.97) were more likely to hold anti-vaccine attitudes. These findings suggest COVID-19 beliefs, experiences of discrimination, and news sources should be considered when designing targeted approaches to address the anti-vaccine movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Communication Theory & Research / Iletisim Kuram ve Arastirma Dergisi is the property of Gazi University, Faculty of Communication and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

People's responses to the threat posed by COVID-19 varied widely. In direct contradiction to the popular theory that Trump supporters prefer to submit to powerful people, Trump's most enthusiastic followers actually were the most vocal in resisting the urgings of authorities to get vaccinated and to wear masks. I explain this anomaly by showing that Trump's followers are driven less by a desire for authority and more by a desire to be secure from the threats human outsiders pose to society's historically dominant racial, language, religious, and cultural group. Far from being authoritarians, the followers of leaders such as Donald Trump stridently oppose all authority figures who divert attention from what they believe are the real threats: immigrants, powerful foreign enemies, diversity, terrorists, and criminals. From this perspective, it is unsurprising that those with a securitarian orientation would not take seriously authorities who are concerned with the threat posed by an mRNA virus.

The Malaysian government has decided that vaccination provided since the early 1950s is free and intended to protect children. However, the responsibility to provide complete immunization for children is still an option given to parents or guardians and is not mandatory. Furthermore, the emergence of anti-vaccine movement was even more bold in spreading misconceptions about vaccination needs to society, especially parents. Therefore, this paper aims to analyze the legal issues arising in the context of childhood vaccines and the existence of anti-vaccine movement in Malaysia. The key points to be addressed are the requirement of childhood vaccinations, the existence of anti-vaccine movement and the control over the dissemination of false information in Malaysia. The research design of pure legal research which is qualitative in nature has been applied. The data sources consist of primary sources which are statutory provisions and court cases as well as secondary sources such as textbooks and journals. The collected data were analyzed by applying the content analysis and the critical analysis methods. The research outcome indicates that specific research on the anti-vaccine movement and its precautionary measures in Malaysian legal context were lacking in the past. Therefore, the authors propose that a detailed study to be carried out by focusing on the solution for legal issues arising from the existence of anti-vaccine movement in Malaysian law perspective. The authors expect that the legal research conducted based on such recommendation will contribute new and significant knowledge, especially relating to legal measure to control the anti-vaccine movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Gümüshane Üniversitesi Saglik Bilimleri Dergisi is the property of Gumushane University, Faculty of Health Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

• Anti-vaccine Pages and posts were far more than pro-vaccine Pages and posts. • Facebook's measures in March 2019 reduced the endorsement of anti-vaccine content. • Social media platforms can limit the anti-vaccine by adjusting certain features. To evaluate the impact of Facebook's vaccine misinformation policy in March 2019 on user endorsements of vaccine content on its platform. We identified 172 anti- and pro-vaccine Facebook Pages and collected posts from these Pages six months before and after the policy. Using interrupted time series regression models, we evaluated the policy impact on user endorsements (i.e., likes) of anti- and pro-vaccine posts on Facebook. The number of likes for posts on anti-vaccine Pages had decreased after the policy implementation (policy = 153.2, p < 0.05; policy*day = −0.838, p < 0.05; marginal effect at the mean = −22.74, p < 0.01; marginal effect at the median = −24.56, p < 0.01). When the number of subscribers was considered, the policy effect on the number of likes for anti-vaccine posts was much smaller, but still statistically significant (policy = 4.849, p < 0.05; policy*day = −0.027, p < 0.05; marginal effect at the mean = −0.742, p < 0.01; marginal effect at the median = −0.800, p < 0.01). There was no policy effect observed for posts on pro-vaccine Pages. Our analysis suggested that Facebook's March 2019 vaccine misinformation policy moderately impacted the number of endorsements of anti-vaccine content on its platform. Social media companies can take measures to limit the popularity of anti-vaccine content by reducing their reach and visibility. Future research efforts should focus on evaluating additional policies and examining policies across platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined a social movement in the digitalized world along with its role in the public policy process. The research focused on how the social movement was accessed and spread, and how knowledge was formed on Facebook so that it could influence the success or failure of a certain policy. It is essential to further explore how knowledge is mobilized through social movements in the digitalized world so as to enrich the theories of governance and public policies. In this study, content analysis was ued. The results showed that the group of main actors who criticized the vaccine's safety was heterogeneous. In terms of vaccine criticism, there were the anti-vaccine movements, the marginally anti-vaccine movements, and the occasionally vaccine-critical movements. This heterogeneity could be found in the type of arguments mobilized to question the vaccine's safety and in these actors' likelihood of being involved in any vaccine-related controversies. The religion and conspiracy theory discourses were the two most used discourses to reject the vaccine delivery program in Indonesia. By mobilizing knowledge through a social movement in the digitalized world, the anti-vaccine movement actors had a wider network and had the potential to influence the success of the government program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The unprecedented rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines has faced SARS-CoV- (COVID-19) vaccine hesitancy, which is partially fueled by the misinformation and conspiracy theories propagated by anti-vaccine groups on social media. Research is needed to better understand the early COVID-19 anti-vaccine activities on social media. Methods This study chronicles the social media posts concerning COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines by leading anti-vaccine groups (Dr Tenpenny on Vaccines, the National Vaccine Information Center [NVIC] the Vaccination Information Network [VINE]) and Vaccine Machine in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic (February–May 2020). Results Analysis of 2060 Facebook posts showed that anti-vaccine groups were discussing COVID-19 in the first week of February 2020 and were specifically discussing COVID-19 vaccines by mid-February 2020. COVID-19 posts by NVIC were more widely disseminated and showed greater influence than non-COVID-19 posts. Early COVID-19 posts concerned mistrust of vaccine safety and conspiracy theories. Conclusion Major anti-vaccine groups were sowing seeds of doubt on Facebook weeks before the US government launched its vaccine development program 'Operation Warp Speed'. Early anti-vaccine misinformation campaigns outpaced public health messaging and hampered the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the fight against infectious diseases that threaten public health, gaining social immunity is very important. However, in recent years, the increasing opposition to vaccines has reached remarkable levels with the Covid-19 pandemic. With this study, the effect of digital media was examined with social marketing approach in the attitudes of potential healthcare users over the age of 18 towards the Covid-19 vaccine. In the study, 427 health service users residing in Ankara were surveyed online. Individuals who used social media through digital media tools were found to have a higher level of anti-vaccination, vaccine hesitation and attitudes towards unvaccinated solutions. While the trust in vaccines positively affects the benefit and protective value of the vaccines, it negatively affects the anti-vaccination and attitudes towards the unvaccinated solutions The level of knowledge and understanding was found to be other factors affecting the benefit of the vaccine and anti-vaccination. By using digital media tools more effectively with a social marketing approach, individuals' attitudes towards vaccination can be changed in favor of public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Turkiye Klinikleri Journal of Nursing Sciences is the property of Turkiye Klinikleri and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista de Relações Internacionais is the property of Institute of International Relations of Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Brasileira de Estudos Politicos is the property of Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (Revista Brasileira de Estudos Politicos) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Following decreasing vaccination rates over the last two decades, understanding the roots of vaccine hesitancy has become a public health priority. Vaccine hesitancy is linked to scientifically unfounded fears around the MMR vaccine and autism which are often fuelled by misinformation spread on social media. To counteract the effects of misinformation about vaccines and in particular the falling vaccination rates, much research has focused on identifying the antecedents of vaccine hesitancy. As antecedents of vaccine hesitancy are contextually dependent, a one-size-fits-all approach is unlikely to be successful in non-WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich, and Democratic) populations, and even in certain (non-typical) WEIRD sub-populations. Successful interventions to reduce vaccine hesitancy must be based on understanding of the specific context. To identify potential contextual differences in the antecedents of vaccine hesitancy, we review research from three non-WEIRD populations in East Asia, and three WEIRD sub-populations. We find that regardless of the context, mistrust seems to be the key factor leading to vaccine hesitancy. However, the object of mistrust varies across WEIRD and non-WEIRD populations, and across WEIRD subgroups suggesting that effective science communication must be mindful of these differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The current controversial issue regarding the anti-vaccine movement is the biggest challenge in implementing immunization in Indonesia because it influences the stagnation in the coverage of complete basic immunization. The World Health Organization (WHO) also states that the anti-vaccine group is one of the ten major threats to global health in 2019 since this phenomenon can cause rare diseases to become epidemic. This study aims at factors related to vaccine hesitancy in the anti-vaccine group on Facebook. Methods: This study used a descriptive correlational method with a quantitative approach. The sample in this study was 150 mothers who were members of the anti-vaccine group on Facebook social media, selected using a purposive sampling technique. Results: Demographic characteristics include religion, ethnicity, education, and income. Perceived susceptibility and perceived severity were assessed using Hwang’s Health Belief Model questionnaire, while vaccine hesitancy was assessed using Saphiro’s Vaccine Hesitancy Scale questionnaire, then analyzed using Spearman Rho (α

Background/Aim The first case of COVID-19 in Turkey was officially recorded on March 11, 2020. Social media use increased worldwide, as well as in Turkey, during the pandemic, and conspiracy theories/fake news about medical complications of vaccines spread throughout the world. The aim of this study was to identify community interactions related to vaccines and to identify key influences/influencers before and after the pandemic using social network data from Twitter. Materials and methods Two datasets, including tweets about vaccinations before and after COVID-19 in Turkey, were collected. Social networks were created based on interactions (mentions) between Twitter users. Users and their influence were scored based on social network analysis and parameters that included in-degree and betweenness centrality. Results In the pre-COVID-19 network, media figures and authors who had anti-vaccine views were the most influential users. In the post-COVID-19 network, the Turkish minister of health, the was the most influential figure. The vaccine network was observed to be growing rapidly after COVID-19, and the physicians and authors who had opinions about mandatory vaccinations received a great deal of reaction. One-way communication between influencers and other users in the network was determined. Conclusions This study shows the effectiveness and usefulness of large social media data for understanding public opinion on public health and vaccination in Turkey. The current study was completed before the implementation of the COVID-19 vaccine in Turkey. We anticipated that social network analysis would help reduce the “infodemic” before administering the vaccine and would also help public health workers act more proactively in this regard.

Following decreasing vaccination rates over the last two decades, understanding the roots of vaccine hesitancy has become a public health priority. Vaccine hesitancy is linked to scientifically unfounded fears around the MMR vaccine and autism which are often fuelled by misinformation spread on social media. To counteract the effects of misinformation about vaccines and in particular the falling vaccination rates, much research has focused on identifying the antecedents of vaccine hesitancy. As antecedents of vaccine hesitancy are contextually dependent, a one-size-fits-all approach is unlikely to be successful in non-WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich, and Democratic) populations, and even in certain (non-typical) WEIRD sub-populations. Successful interventions to reduce vaccine hesitancy must be based on understanding of the specific context. To identify potential contextual differences in the antecedents of vaccine hesitancy, we review research from three non-WEIRD populations in East Asia, and three WEIRD sub-populations. We find that regardless of the context, mistrust seems to be the key factor leading to vaccine hesitancy. However, the object of mistrust varies across WEIRD and non-WEIRD populations, and across WEIRD subgroups suggesting that effective science communication must be mindful of these differences.

Introduction: The phenomenon of basic vaccine hesitancy in parents is the biggest challenge faced by health workers in the global era currently. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and knowledge about vaccines towards vaccine hesitancy among anti and provaccine communities on social media Facebook. Methods: This study used a cross-sectional design. The sample was 150 members of the anti-vaccine community and 234 members of the pro-vaccine community on social media Facebook using a purposive sampling technique. Data were collected using questionnaire namely; HBM (health belief model) questionnaire which was translated and modified, and Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (VHS) questionnaire. The independent variables in this study were perceived benefits of vaccines, perceived barriers to vaccines, knowledge about vaccines. The dependent variable was vaccine hesitancy. Spearman rho analysis was used to measure the relationship between the dependent and independent variables. Results: The results of the Spearman rho analysis showed that the perceived benefits of vaccines (p=0.363 of anti-vaccine, p=0.702 of pro-vaccine), the perceived barriers to vaccines (p=0.410 of anti-vaccine, p=0.341 of pro-vaccine), and knowledge about vaccines (p=0.413 of anti-vaccine, p=0.192 of pro-vaccine) was related to vaccine hesitancy in parents. Discussion: This study results indicated that the perceived benefits of vaccines, perceived barriers to vaccines, and knowledge about vaccines are related to vaccine hesitancy in parents. The implications of the study are essential information for health workers to determine the right and wise strategy in responding to the increasing vaccine hesitancy in public so that basic vaccine coverage will increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on how Brazilian politicians helped to spread disinformation about Covid-19 vaccines, discussing legitimation strategies and actors that played a significant role on Twitter and Facebook. Based on data gathered through CrowdTangle and Twitter API, we selected the 250 most shared/retweeted posts for each dataset (n=500) and examined if they contained disinformation, who posted it, and what strategy was used to legitimize this discourse. Our findings indicate that politicians and hyperpartisan accounts have a key influence in validating the Brazilian president’s populist discourse through rationalization (pseudo-science) and denunciation (against the vaccine). The political frame also plays an important role in disinformation messages.

Even though vaccination is the most effective measure against COVID-19 infections, vaccine rollout efforts have been hampered by growing anti-vaccine attitudes. Based on current knowledge, we identified three domains (beliefs, discrimination, and news) as our correlates of primary interest to examine the association with anti-vaccine attitudes. This is one of the first studies to examine key correlates of anti-vaccine attitudes during the critical early stages of vaccine implementation in the United States. An online survey was administered in May 2021 to a non-representative, nationally based sample of adults (N = 789). Using multivariable logistic regression analysis, we found that individuals who expressed worry about COVID-19 (OR = 0.34, 95% CI 0.21, 0.55) and had greater knowledge of COVID-19 (OR = 0.50, 95% CI 0.25, 0.99) were less likely to hold anti-vaccine attitudes. Conversely, individuals who held stigmatizing views of COVID-19 (OR = 2.47, 95% CI 1.53, 3.99), had experienced racial discrimination (OR = 2.14, 95% CI 1.25, 3.67) and discrimination related to COVID-19 (OR = 2.84, 95% CI 1.54, 5.24), and who had been watching Fox News (OR = 3.95, 95% CI 2.61, 5.97) were more likely to hold anti-vaccine attitudes. These findings suggest COVID-19 beliefs, experiences of discrimination, and news sources should be considered when designing targeted approaches to address the anti-vaccine movement.

• Insight on Tweets from the pro-vaccine #DoctorsSpeakUp event. • Anti-vaccine movement mobilized prior to the event. • Pro-vaccine messages often did not follow risk communication guidelines. • Findings offer concrete recommendations for future pro-vaccine events. In response to growing anti-vaccine activism on social media, the #DoctorsSpeakUp event was designed to promote pro-vaccine advocacy. This study aimed to analyze Twitter content related to the event to determine (1) characteristics of the Twitter users who authored these tweets, (2) the proportion of tweets expressing pro-vaccine compared to anti-vaccine sentiment, and (3) the content of these tweets. Data were collected using Twitter's Filtered Streams Interface, and included all publicly available tweets with the "#DoctorsSpeakUp" hashtag on March 5, 2020, the day of the event. Two independent coders assessed a 5% subsample of original tweets (n = 966) using a thematic content analysis approach. Cohen's κ ranged 0.71–1.00 for all categories. Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used to examine associations between tweet sentiment, type of account, and tweet content (personal narrative and/or statement about research or science). Accounts were analyzed for likelihood of being a bot (i.e. automated account) using Botometer. Of 847 (87.7%) relevant tweets, 244 (28.8%) were authored by a Twitter user that identified as a parent and 68 (8.0%) by a user that identified as a health professional. With regard to sentiment, 167 (19.7%) were coded as pro-vaccine and 668 (78.9%) were coded as anti-vaccine. Tweet sentiment was significantly associated with type of account (p < 0.001) and tweet content (p = 0.001). Of the 575 unique users in our dataset, 31 (5.4%) were classified as bots using Botometer. Our results suggest a highly coordinated response of devoted anti-vaccine antagonists in response to the #DoctorsSpeakUp event. These findings can be used to help vaccine advocates leverage social media more effectively to promote vaccines. Specifically, it would be valuable to ensure that pro-vaccine messages consider hashtag use and pre-develop messages that can be launched and promoted by pro-vaccine advocates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For example, if we were to store Pfizer's vaccine, then you are looking at ultra-low freezers (as depicted in Figure 3) offering storage temperatures in the range of -70°C, while if we were to store the Moderna vaccine, the ideal storage temperature required is -20°C. Keywords: COVID-19; vaccines; anti-vaccine; anti-science; vaccine hesitancy; pandemic; COVAX EN COVID-19 vaccines anti-vaccine anti-science vaccine hesitancy pandemic COVAX 347 350 4 07/08/21 20210401 NES 210401 1. For more fragile COVID vaccines, such as the Pfizer vaccine, what measures need to be take... The core logistical challenge surrounding the COVID-19 vaccines is that they need different types of refrigerators and freezers because of the varying temperature requirements. [Extracted from the article]

• Sixty-one percent of parents support social media standards to combat vaccine misinformation. • Support for individual standards varied, with higher support for less restrictive standards. • Parent characteristics and exposure to vaccine information are associated with level of support. We sought to assess parental support for varying standards that social media sites can employ to combat vaccine misinformation. Between July and August 2019, we conducted a web-based survey with a national sample of 1073 parents of adolescents and who use social media. The survey assessed support for ten standards about vaccine misinformation. Multivariable logistic regression assessed correlates of support. Overall, 61% of parents supported at least one standard. Support for each standard varied greatly (12–51%), with higher support for less restrictive standards. Parents more often supported standards if their child had already initiated human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, if they were non-Hispanic black or Hispanic, if they agreed that vaccine misinformation is harmful, or if they saw information on social media in favor of HPV vaccine (all p <.05). Our findings suggest favorable support for standards that social media sites can implement to combat vaccine misinformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measles is one of the main causes of global mortality in the under-fives. The existence of groups that reject immunization caused a decrease in immunization coverage. Anti-vaccine messages are widely delivered on social media. Identification of vaccine rejection behavior can be used as the basis to formulate effective program strategies. The design of this study used rapid assessment procedures (RAP). The informants were from two anti-vaccine communities in the Facebook group. In-depth interviews and observations were done for data collection, and data analysis was performed using the Framework Method. The results found that determinants, such as knowledge, beliefs in health behavior and disease prevention, religion, culture, and government policies play a role in shaping informants' perceptions of vaccines and disease risks. The design factors of vaccination programs and the reliability of vaccine-producing sources were found to be inhibiting factors for informants to receive vaccines. Also, determinants like media communication, experience with vaccines, health workers' role, and lobbying by anti-vaccine groups strengthened informants' attitude who initially doubted vaccines, causing them to reject vaccines ultimately. It is suggested to the Ministry of Health to improve vaccination campaigns through social media, conduct vaccine development study, and increase health workers' knowledge related to vaccines and make their communication techniques more effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vaccination is one of the most effective interventions used to reduce infections. Nonetheless, concerns and misconceptions about vaccines have resulted in an increased rate of refusal of vaccination among healthcare workers (HCWs) and within the general population. Aim/ Objective: To understand the factors that underlie vaccination-refusal. Methods: A questionnaire was given to the HCWs in the inpatient area of an acute London hospital during May 2019. The sample was one of convenience, i.e. the wards where the principle investigator covered. All staff were approached: 306 in total completed the questionnaire. Findings/results: In total, 212 (69.28%) healthcare professionals had the flu vaccine during the 2018–2019 campaign, 94 (30.62%) did not have the flu vaccine and 37 (39.36%) of the HCWs that did not receive the flu vaccine reported they had previously a bad reaction following administration of the vaccine. Discussion: This report will provide the Trust and other healthcare settings with information integrating the disconnection between misconceptions and vaccination knowledge, which may inform practical interventions to address the challenges of vaccination in future campaigns. Increasing HCWs' knowledge of flu vaccine side effects could address this and may increase rates of vaccination compliance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acceptance of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination appears as a decisive factor necessary to control the ongoing pandemic. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are among the highest risk groups for infection. The current study aimed to evaluate COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among HCWs in Kuwait, with identification of the psychological determinants of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. The study was conducted using an online anonymous survey distributed between 18 March 2021 and 29 March 2021. The sampling strategy was convenience-based depending on chain-referral sampling. Psychological determinants of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance were assessed using the 5C subscales and the Vaccine Conspiracy Beliefs Scale (VCBS). The total number of study participants was 1019, with the largest group being physicians (28.7%), pharmacists (20.2%), dentists (16.7%), and nurses (12.5%). The overall rate for COVID-19 vaccine acceptance was 83.3%, with 9.0% who were not willing to accept vaccination and 7.7% who were unsure. The highest rate for COVID-19 vaccine acceptance was seen among dentists (91.2%) and physicians (90.4%), while the lowest rate was seen among nurses (70.1%; p < 0.001). A higher level of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy was found among females, participants with a lower educational level, and HCWs in the private sector. A preference for mRNA vaccine technology and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was found among the majority of participants (62.6% and 69.7%, respectively). COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy was significantly linked to the embrace of vaccine conspiracy beliefs. The highest 5C psychological predictors of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance were high levels of collective responsibility and confidence, and lower levels of constraints and calculation. The VCBS and 5C subscales (except the calculation subscale) showed acceptable levels of predicting COVID-19 vaccine acceptance based on receiver operating characteristic analyses. The participants who depended on social media platforms, TV programs, and news releases as their main sources of knowledge about COVID-19 vaccines showed higher rates of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. An overall satisfactory level of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance was seen among HCWs in Kuwait, which was among the highest rates reported globally. However; higher levels of vaccine hesitancy were observed among certain groups (females, nurses and laboratory workers, HCWs in the private sector), which should be targeted with more focused awareness programs. HCWs in Kuwait can play a central role in educating their patients and the general public about the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination to halt the spread of SARS-CoV-2, considering the high rates of vaccine hesitancy observed among the general public in Kuwait and the Middle East.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an observed increase in anti-vaccine sentiment linked with requirements for the vaccines. But how did these ideas impact the politics of vaccines? In this paper, the authors analyze witness statements from the 2021 Texas Legislative Session during vaccine-related hearings. Specifically, the research focused on five hearings for bills that related to vaccine requirements or vaccine transparency laws filed during the 2021Texas Legislative Session and witnesses who opposed these measures. From the 128 witnesses cataloged and analyzed, we found 84 witnesses opposed to vaccines. Medical freedom and the right to opt-out of a medical procedure as well as concerns about vaccine safety and effectiveness were most frequently used by witnesses to justify their stance against vaccine requirements or vaccines. While some witnesses were opposed to all vaccines, most focused their objections on the COVID-19 vaccine specifically., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Kirstin RW Matthews reports financial support was provided by The Greenwall Foundation. Rekha Lakshmanan reports a relationship with The Immunization Partnership that includes: employment.., (© 2024 The Authors.)