Opportunities and challenges of Web 2.0 for vaccination decisions

Abstract

A growing number of people use the Internet to obtain health information, including information about vaccines. Websites that allow and promote interaction among users are an increasingly popular source of health information. Users of such so-called Web 2.0 applications (e.g. social media), while still in the minority, represent a growing proportion of online communicators, including vocal and active anti-vaccination groups as well as public health communicators. In this paper, the authors: define Web 2.0 and examine how it may influence vaccination decisions; discuss how anti-vaccination movements use Web 2.0 as well as the challenges Web 2.0 holds for public health communicators; describe the types of information used in these different settings; introduce the theoretical background that can be used to design effective vaccination communication in a Web 2.0 environment; make recommendations for practice and pose open questions for future research. The authors conclude that, as a result of the Internet and Web 2.0, private and public concerns surrounding vaccinations have the potential to virally spread across the globe in a quick, efficient and vivid manner. Web 2.0 may influence vaccination decisions by delivering information that alters the perceived personal risk of vaccine-preventable diseases or vaccination side-effects. It appears useful for public health officials to put effort into increasing the effectiveness of existing communication by implementing interactive, customized communication. A key step to providing successful public health communication is to identify those who are particularly vulnerable to finding and using unreliable and misleading information. Thus, it appears worthwhile that public health websites strive to be easy to find, easy to use, attractive in its presentation and readily provide the information, support and advice that the searcher is looking for. This holds especially when less knowledgeable individuals are in need of reliable information about vaccination risks and benefits.

Vaccine hesitancy

“…[60][61][62][63][64][65] Many consider that the omnipresence of anti-vaccination content on the World Wide Web has contributed to a broader and faster dissemination of rumours, myths and "inaccurate" beliefs regarding vaccines that have had a negative impact on vaccine uptake. 50,61,66 Indeed, even if health professionals are still frequently consulted by the majority of individuals with health concerns, the Internet has become an essential source of information. 66,67 In addition, with Web 2.0 functions which allow users to create and share content using social networks (such as Facebook, Twitter, Youtube or Wikipedia), individuals can share their personal experiences of vaccination.…”

“…50,61,66 Indeed, even if health professionals are still frequently consulted by the majority of individuals with health concerns, the Internet has become an essential source of information. 66,67 In addition, with Web 2.0 functions which allow users to create and share content using social networks (such as Facebook, Twitter, Youtube or Wikipedia), individuals can share their personal experiences of vaccination. These narratives add a new dimension to health information: a personal and embodied view of vaccine-preventable disease, vaccines and their potential (often negative) consequences.…”

Using the social structure of markets as a framework for analyzing vaccination debates: The case of emergency polio vaccination

“…[1][2] The arenas hosting these debates have changed with time, discussions have moved from the town-square 1 to the courtroom, 3 and later to the mass media. 4 In recent years, the internet of the "Web 2.0" era has gained recognition as the major arena where vaccination debates take place, [5][6] establishing the Web as the new post-modern "town-square. "…”

My Child Doesn't Need to be Vaccinated Because We Lead a Healthy Lifestyle: Compensatory Health Beliefs Predicting Intentions and Reported Child Vaccination

“…Though childhood vaccination coverage in developed countries is high and stable [2], and is increasing (though less than the expected targets) in low and middle income countries [3], there are concerns over declining coverage in developed countries and resultant disease outbreaks, especially in lieu of the heated public debate on vaccination [4][5][6][7][8]. The public discourse, availed primarily through the Internet, and especially Web 2.0 participatory opportunities [9], sprang from variations between national policies in different countries, shifts in policy within the same country, and ongoing changes in vaccination protocols, creating a confusion among parents [2].…”

“…Reviews indicate that reasons for under-vaccination and nonvaccination are multiple [10], with vaccination decisions made "on a complex array of factors" along the decision process [4]. Parents' different concerns may translate into indifference, anti-vaccination convictions and hesitancy [2], all occurring in spite of an abundance of information [11].…”