Rumour Monitoring on the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine in Nigeria: Insights from Social Listening Analysis from January – July 2023
Introduction: Misinformation and vaccine hesitancy pose a significant challenge to uptake and adherence to public health interventions, especially during public health emergencies. Social listening involves actively monitoring and analysing online and offline conversations, offering insights into pu...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-03-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Infectious Diseases |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1201971224007902 |
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| Summary: | Introduction: Misinformation and vaccine hesitancy pose a significant challenge to uptake and adherence to public health interventions, especially during public health emergencies. Social listening involves actively monitoring and analysing online and offline conversations, offering insights into public sentiments, concerns, and perceptions of public health interventions. Nigeria Health Watch conducted an online social listening analysis on the introduction of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in Nigeria between January and July 2023. The aim was to identify and promptly address misinformation about the HPV vaccine to reduce hesitance and improve vaccine uptake. Methods: This study employed a retrospective social listening methodology to identify and analyse discussions related to HPV vaccine introduction in Nigeria between the months of January and July 2023. We searched a variety of online spaces, such as news, blogs, and social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube), for relevant discussions using keywords like ‘Human papillomavirus’, ‘Human papillomavirus vaccine’, ‘HPV vaccine’, and ‘cervical cancer’. Predefined prioritisation indicators were used to collate and analyse mentions thematically. Eligibility for inclusion was based on relevance to HPV vaccine introduction in Nigeria. The analysis was based on metrics such as the mentions' volume, reach, and engagement. Results: Twitter had the highest volume of conversations with 294 mentions, followed by news media/blogs (241), YouTube (4), Facebook (3) and Instagram (3). The cumulative reach across all platforms was 4,580,586, showing a strong online presence of HPV-related discussions. Twitter demonstrated the most significant level of engagement with 13,784 interactions, trailed by Facebook with 626 engagements. Discussion: Data from this study indicates a considerable amount of online discussion about HPV, particularly on Twitter and News Media/Blogs platforms. There is a consistent upward trend in HPV vaccine -related discussions across the social media platforms. Twitter emerged as the primary platform for these conversations, with a substantial increase in volume over the reporting period. Research has shown that social media platforms provide valuable insights and knowledge that can positively influence the perception of the public on HPV vaccine. Conclusion: There has been a consistent upward trend in the volume of HPV vaccine recommendations-related conversations across various platforms. Among these, twitter and other social media platforms exhibited the highest levels of engagement and reach, indicating the public's keen interest in obtaining information from these sources. Therefore, we recommend the development of clear and concise messaging that directly addresses common HPV vaccine misconceptions and dissemination on these platforms. |
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| ISSN: | 1201-9712 |