Background Vaccination against COVID-19 has been available in Germany since December 2020. However, about 30% of the population report not wanting to be vaccinated. In order to increase the willingness of the population to get vaccinated, data on the acceptance of vaccination and its influencing factors are necessary. Little is known about why individuals refuse the COVID-19 vaccination. The aim of this study was to investigate the reasons leading to rejecting vaccination, based on posts from three social media sites. Methods The German-language versions of Instagram, Twitter and YouTube were searched regarding negative attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination. Data was extracted until a saturation effect could be observed. The data included posts created from January 20, 2020 to May 2, 2021. This time frame roughly covers the period from the first reports of the spread of SARS-CoV-2 up to the general availability of vaccines against COVID-19 in Germany. We used an interpretive thematic approach to analyze the data and to inductively generate codes, subcategories and categories. Results Based on 333 posts written by 323 contributing users, we identified six main categories of reasons for refusing a COVID-19 vaccination: Low perceived benefit of vaccination, low perceived risk of contracting COVID-19, health concerns, lack of information, systemic mistrust and spiritual or religious reasons. The analysis reveals a lack of information among users and the spread of misinformation with regard to COVID-19 and vaccination. Users feel inadequately informed about vaccination or do not understand the information available. These information gaps may be related to information not being sufficiently sensitive to the needs of the target group. In addition to limited information for the general population, misinformation on the internet can also be an important reason for refusing vaccination. Conclusions The study emphasizes the relevance of providing trustworthy and quality-assured information on COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccination to all population groups. In addition, vaccinations should be easily accessible in order to promote the population’s willingness to be vaccinated.

Caregiving is associated with various burdens for family caregivers. The COVID‐19 pandemic and the protective measures implemented to restrict public life, such as social distancing and the closure of services and educational institutions, add further challenges. Little is known about how they are perceived by family caregivers. Based on an analysis of German social media posts, the aim of this study was to explore the additional strains family caregivers experience during the pandemic. The websites of three social media services were searched using the respective search engines provided by the websites. Data from a 10‐month period (March to December 2020) were identified and examined. A total of 237 publicly available posts were included in the analysis. Seven main categories were identified using a thematic approach: care and support, deterioration of the condition of the person being cared for, psychological challenges, financial challenges, infection control, access to protective equipment, and acknowledgement of family caregivers. Family caregivers are affected by additional burdens during the pandemic, which makes the development of support and relief services tailored to this population group necessary.

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Background A large proportion of people in need of care in Germany are cared for at home by relatives. Caregiving is associated with various burdens for family caregivers. The Covid-19 pandemic and the protective measures to restrict public life such as social distancing and the closure of services and educational institutions, add further challenges. Little is known about how they are perceived by family caregivers. Based on an analysis of social media posts, the aim of the present study was to explore the additional strains family caregivers experience during the pandemic. Methods The German-language versions of the social media sites Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube comments were systematically searched with regard to the pandemic-related burdens of family caregivers and examined using qualitative content analysis. The search was conducted from Nov 24, 2020 to Dec 8, 2020. A total of 237 social media posts were included in the data analysis. Results Seven main categories with varying numbers of subcategories were identified: Care and support (lack of care and support services, care in case of illness or quarantine), deterioration of the condition of the person being cared for, psychological challenges, financial challenges, infection control, access to protective equipment (questions and problems regarding infection control measures), and acknowledgement of family caregivers (consideration of relatives of children or people with disabilities, unequal treatment, and consideration in the context of protective measures). Conclusions Family caregivers are affected by additional burdens during the pandemic, which make it is necessary to develop support and relief services tailored to this population group. The results of the present study can contribute to the development of respective diversity-sensitive support services.