Five research-backed steps to a pro-vaccination social media campaign
What can vaccine proponents, clinicians and public health communicators learn from “anti-vaxxers?” A lot, according to new guidance for pro-vaccination social media events written by University of Pittsburgh health scientists.
The five-part guidelines, published today in the journal Vaccine, arose from an analysis of a grassroots pro-vaccination campaign organized last year by popular physician and social media personality Zubin Damania, M.D., colloquially known as “ZDoggMD.” Unexpectedly, more than three-quarters of the tweets associated with the event were opposing vaccination, researchers found.
“While at first it felt a little defeating that the event was co-opted to spread anti-vaccination messages, we learned some really constructive lessons,” said lead author Beth Hoffman, M.P.H., a doctoral student at Pitt’s Graduate School of Public Health. “I expect our guidelines will prove valuable now as health professionals work to address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and misinformation, as well as in the development of future health communication campaigns to promote vaccines.”