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Arcaro P, Nachira L, Pattavina F, Campo E, Mancini R, Pascucci D, Damiani G, Carducci B, Spadea A, Lanzone A, Bruno S, Laurenti P. Assessing the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Pregnant Women's Attitudes towards Childhood Vaccinations: A Cross-Sectional Study. Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:473. [PMID: 38793724 PMCID: PMC11126003 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12050473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has globally disrupted immunisation practices, impacting vulnerable populations such as pregnant women (PW), who harbour concerns about future children's immunisations. This study aimed to assess the pandemic's impact on PW's attitudes towards childhood vaccinations. During three consecutive flu seasons from October 2019 to January 2022, a cross-sectional study was conducted in a large Italian teaching hospital using a questionnaire. The chi-square test was performed to compare each season. Across the 2019-2020 to 2021-2022 seasons, course attendance by PW surged from 105 to 340. Significant shifts in vaccination intentions were noted, including a 7.5% decrease in measles vaccination intent (p = 0.02) and a 10% decrease in that of pertussis (p = 0.004) from 2019-2020 to 2020-2021. While perceived contagion risk decreased, disease severity perceptions increased, with few significant differences. A statistically significant reduction was noted in the proportion of participants suspecting economic motives behind NHS workers' promotion of childhood vaccinations. Furthermore, the pandemic period saw an increase in the perceived utility of non-institutional websites and the advice of physicians outside the NHS. These findings will help develop evidence-based, tailored interventions and communication strategies to address vaccine hesitancy and ensure optimal vaccination coverage among children born during and after the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Arcaro
- Section of Hygiene, University Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (P.A.); (L.N.); (E.C.); (R.M.); (G.D.); (S.B.); (P.L.)
| | - Lorenza Nachira
- Section of Hygiene, University Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (P.A.); (L.N.); (E.C.); (R.M.); (G.D.); (S.B.); (P.L.)
| | - Fabio Pattavina
- Women, Children and Public Health Sciences Department, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (B.C.); (A.L.)
| | - Enrica Campo
- Section of Hygiene, University Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (P.A.); (L.N.); (E.C.); (R.M.); (G.D.); (S.B.); (P.L.)
| | - Rossella Mancini
- Section of Hygiene, University Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (P.A.); (L.N.); (E.C.); (R.M.); (G.D.); (S.B.); (P.L.)
| | - Domenico Pascucci
- Section of Hygiene, University Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (P.A.); (L.N.); (E.C.); (R.M.); (G.D.); (S.B.); (P.L.)
- Health Management, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Gianfranco Damiani
- Section of Hygiene, University Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (P.A.); (L.N.); (E.C.); (R.M.); (G.D.); (S.B.); (P.L.)
- Women, Children and Public Health Sciences Department, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (B.C.); (A.L.)
| | - Brigida Carducci
- Women, Children and Public Health Sciences Department, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (B.C.); (A.L.)
| | | | - Antonio Lanzone
- Women, Children and Public Health Sciences Department, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (B.C.); (A.L.)
| | - Stefania Bruno
- Section of Hygiene, University Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (P.A.); (L.N.); (E.C.); (R.M.); (G.D.); (S.B.); (P.L.)
- Women, Children and Public Health Sciences Department, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (B.C.); (A.L.)
| | - Patrizia Laurenti
- Section of Hygiene, University Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (P.A.); (L.N.); (E.C.); (R.M.); (G.D.); (S.B.); (P.L.)
- Women, Children and Public Health Sciences Department, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (B.C.); (A.L.)
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Ngai CSB, Singh RG, Yao L. Impact of COVID-19 Vaccine Misinformation on Social Media Virality: Content Analysis of Message Themes and Writing Strategies. J Med Internet Res 2022; 24:e37806. [PMID: 35731969 PMCID: PMC9301555 DOI: 10.2196/37806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vaccines serve an integral role in containing pandemics, yet vaccine hesitancy is prevalent globally. One key reason for this hesitancy is the pervasiveness of misinformation on social media. Although considerable research attention has been drawn to how exposure to misinformation is closely associated with vaccine hesitancy, little scholarly attention has been given to the investigation or robust theorizing of the various content themes pertaining to antivaccine misinformation about COVID-19 and the writing strategies in which these content themes are manifested. Virality of such content on social media exhibited in the form of comments, shares, and reactions has practical implications for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. OBJECTIVE We investigated whether there were differences in the content themes and writing strategies used to disseminate antivaccine misinformation about COVID-19 and their impact on virality on social media. METHODS We constructed an antivaccine misinformation database from major social media platforms during September 2019-August 2021 to examine how misinformation exhibited in the form of content themes and how these themes manifested in writing were associated with virality in terms of likes, comments, and shares. Antivaccine misinformation was retrieved from two globally leading and widely cited fake news databases, COVID Global Misinformation Dashboard and International Fact-Checking Network Corona Virus Facts Alliance Database, which aim to track and debunk COVID-19 misinformation. We primarily focused on 140 Facebook posts, since most antivaccine misinformation posts on COVID-19 were found on Facebook. We then employed quantitative content analysis to examine the content themes (ie, safety concerns, conspiracy theories, efficacy concerns) and manifestation strategies of misinformation (ie, mimicking of news and scientific reports in terms of the format and language features, use of a conversational style, use of amplification) in these posts and their association with virality of misinformation in the form of likes, comments, and shares. RESULTS Our study revealed that safety concern was the most prominent content theme and a negative predictor of likes and shares. Regarding the writing strategies manifested in content themes, a conversational style and mimicking of news and scientific reports via the format and language features were frequently employed in COVID-19 antivaccine misinformation, with the latter being a positive predictor of likes. CONCLUSIONS This study contributes to a richer research-informed understanding of which concerns about content theme and manifestation strategy need to be countered on antivaccine misinformation circulating on social media so that accurate information on COVID-19 vaccines can be disseminated to the public, ultimately reducing vaccine hesitancy. The liking of COVID-19 antivaccine posts that employ language features to mimic news or scientific reports is perturbing since a large audience can be reached on social media, potentially exacerbating the spread of misinformation and hampering global efforts to combat the virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cindy Sing Bik Ngai
- Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Rita Gill Singh
- Language Centre, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Le Yao
- Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong
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Di Maria E, Simoni M, Pedeliento G, Galvagno M. The long Covid effect in marketing and consumer research. ITALIAN JOURNAL OF MARKETING 2021. [PMCID: PMC8521243 DOI: 10.1007/s43039-021-00041-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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