Research on Combatting Vaccine Misinformation on Social Media

Challenge

Vaccine-preventable diseases are resurging as immunization coverage has decreased, driven by reductions in vaccine confidence and trust. Social media increasingly provides a platform for sharing health information, particularly for vaccine hesitant individuals, who are more likely to rely on online information. Social media platforms have allowed the rapid spread of health misinformation and disinformation, impacting vaccine confidence globally, including in low- and middle-income countries. As more people turn to social media for vaccine-related information, there is a need to identify and address gaps in our understanding of the relationship between social media and vaccine hesitancy and to ensure that health providers have tools to effectively respond to vaccine misinformation in their communities.

 
Approach

Group of kids happy, and mother holding the hand of her child in the background

[Photo by Bart Brouwer.]

The International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH) has worked collaboratively with the Sabin Vaccine Institute (Sabin) to define a research agenda and develop training resources for low- and middle-income countries to address vaccine hesitancy and misinformation through social media.

  1. A PRISMA-compliant systematic review of peer-reviewed and other literature
  2. Scoping review and analysis of vaccine appeals messaging conducted across five countries
  3. Development of resources to provide healthcare workers with on-demand training on evidence-based strategies for responding to vaccine misinformation across digital and in-person contexts

Vaccine Misinformation Training Resources

https://ivacjohnshopkins.moodlecloud.com/

Access a free interactive training materials designed to help healthcare providers respond to vaccine misinformation online and in-person. This self-paced training is available in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Filipino, Swahili, and Hindi.

Publications

Limaye, R. J., Holroyd, T. A., Blunt, M., Jamison, A. F., Sauer, M., Weeks, R., … & Gellin, B. (2021). Social media strategies to affect vaccine acceptance: a systematic literature review. Expert review of vaccines, 20(8), 959-973. https://doi.org/10.1080/14760584.2021.1949292

Schulz, G., Balgobin, K., Michel, A., & Limaye, R. J. (2023). Vaccine communication: Appeals and messengers most effective for COVID-19 vaccine uptake in Ukraine. Vaccines, 11(2), 279. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11020279

Limaye, R. J., Balgobin, K., Michel, A., Schulz, G., & Erchick, D. J. (2022). What message appeal and messenger are most persuasive for COVID-19 vaccine uptake: Results from a 5-country survey in India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, and Ukraine. PloS one, 17(9), e0274966. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0274966

Limaye, R. J., Erchick, D. J., Balgobin, K., Michel, A., & Schulz, G. (2022). Message testing in India for COVID-19 vaccine uptake: What appeal and what messenger are most persuasive?. Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, 18(6), 2091864. https://doi.org/10.1080/21645515.2022.2091864

Events and Presentations

 

Project Status:
Complete

Practice Areas:
Policy Engagement

Disease Focus:
COVID-19, Human papillomavirus (HPV), Measles, Polio, Vaccine Programs

Location:
Global

Target Population:
Adolescents, Adult, Child, Older Adults

Project Contact:
Rupali Limaye, PhD, MPH
rlimaye@jhu.edu