Immunity debt or vaccination crisis? A multi-method evidence on vaccine acceptance and media framing for emerging COVID-19 variants

Abstract

Renewed COVID-19 outbreaks, stemming from the highly infectious Delta and Omicron variants, prompted rising fears of a ‘pandemic among the unvaccinated’. To address this prevalent vaccination crisis, media framing communication strategies can amplify the scientific evidence on COVID-19 vaccines to reach diverse geographic and socio-economic communities. The critical role of media framing strategies to engage and encourage large populations regarding vaccine acceptance has been rarely studied, despite growing evidence on vaccine hesitancy. The present study used a multi-method approach (i.e., content analysis and quasi-experiments) that unpacked the framing practices employed by the mainstream press media in Pakistan. The findings of the content analysis revealed that the media extensively used uncertainty, conflict, consequences, and action rather than new evidence and reassurance frames in its COVID-19 related campaigns. In a series of quasi-experiments involving 720 participants, we manipulated these six frames of COVID-19 related news coverage (i.e., uncertainty, conflict, consequences, action, new evidence, and reassurance) to investigate the underlying mechanism that influences vaccine acceptance. The findings established that the message-consistent effects of media frames manifesting fear (e.g., consequence and uncertainty) and action cues made receivers more supportive of vaccination. The present study findings theoretically address the calls for a more inclusive “community-health reporting model”, besides offering new evidence on the media framing strategies to deliver more targeted, meaningful, and effective campaigns to raise public acceptance for COVID-19 vaccines.

Acceptance of COVID-19 Vaccine Among High-Risk Occupations in a Port City of China and Multifaceted Strategies for Increasing Vaccination Coverage: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…However, it is worth emphasizing that increasing vaccination coverage was the most important contributing factor in reducing hospitalizations and deaths. 21 , 22 Therefore, more effort should be invested in promoting the COVID-19 vaccine among the population.…”

Understandings and practices related to risk, immunity and vaccination during the Delta variant COVID-19 outbreak in Australia: An interview study

“…During this time of new viral crisis, the topics of vaccination and immunity have also received intensified prominence in public forums. Once COVID vaccines were developed and approved, their relative merits and side-effects were publicly debated [3] , [4] , [5] . Google searches for the term ‘immunity’ and for COVID vaccines dramatically increased after the onset of the pandemic [6] , [7] .…”

“…Similar to public communication related to previous outbreaks of infectious diseases [6] or to the problem of antimicrobial resistance [31] , [32] , [33] , [34] , [35] , [36] , [37] , [38] , [39] , [40] , [41] , [42] , [43] , [44] , [45] , messages about the importance of protecting others by engaging in hygienic practices or accepting recommended vaccination doses have also dominated news reports, government authorities’ announcements and public health campaigns [46] , [1] , [2] , [3] , [4] , [5] , [6] . People with COVID have been instructed to stay at home or in quarantine facilities, while others have been encouraged to physically distance from each other, wash their hands regularly, wear masks, accept vaccinations, seek testing if exposed or experiencing symptoms, and care for themselves at home if they do become ill with COVID [1] , [2] , [3] , [4] , [5] , [6] , [7] , [8] , [9] , [10] , [11] , [12] , [13] , [14] , [15] , [16] , [17] , [18] , [19] , [20] , [21] , [22] , [23] , [24] , [25] , [26] , [27] , [28] , [29] , [30] , [31] , [32] , [33] , [34] , [35] , [36] , [37] ...…”

“…People who have disobeyed such instructions have often been depicted in strongly moralistic terms as lacking good sense, being ignorant or even flagrantly placing others at risk (as the term ‘Covidiots’ encapsulates) [48] , [49] . Some people diagnosed with COVID have also experienced public shaming as well as stigma, feelings of guilt and ostracism for placing themselves and others at risk by becoming infected [51] , [1] , [2] , [3] , [4] , [5] , [6] , [7] , [8] , [9] , [10] , [11] , [12] , [13] , [14] , [15] , [16] , [17] , [18] , [19] , [20] , [21] , [22] , [23] , [24] , [25] , [26] , [27] , [28] , [29] , [30] , [31] , [32] , [33] , [34] , [35] , [36] , [37] , [38] , [39] , [40] , [41] , [42] , [43] , [44] , [45] , [46] , [47] , [48] , [49] , [50] .…”

Exploring Influence of Communication Campaigns in Promoting Regenerative Farming Through Diminishing Farmers' Resistance to Innovation: An Innovation Resistance Theory Perspective From Global South

“…The communication-related factors have been reported as an effective tool in social and cause-related marketing (Jin et al, 2021 ). Several other studies underlined the role of communication messages in formulating people's actions (Yousaf et al, 2022 ). The efficacy of such communication campaigns (Jiang et al, 2021 ; Jin et al, 2021 ) and communication channels (Chen et al, 2022 ) are also reported in sectors of technology adoption.…”