An analysis of the Human Papilloma Virus vaccine debate on MySpace blogs

Keelan, Jennifer; Pavri, Vera; Balakrishnan, Ravin; Wilson, Kumanan

doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2009.11.060

Cited by 190 publications

(149 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…58 In addition to traditional media, the Internet has offered an opportunity for vocal anti-vaccination activists to diffuse their message. [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.…”

Section: The Role Of Public Health and Vaccine Policiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…66 Indeed, studies reviewing the content of websites or social networks concerning vaccination have shown that information is of variable quality and that inexact or negative content is predominant. 61,62,64 For example, in a study simulating a patient's search for advice on the potential link between MMR and autism using the Google search engine, Scullard and collaborators have reported that only 51% of the websites provided the correct information about the fact that no association has ever been demonstrated between MMR vaccination and autism.…”

Section: The Role Of Public Health and Vaccine Policiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Vaccine hesitancy

Dubé

Laberge

Guay

et al. 2013

Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics

1,759

1,350

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Section: The Role Of Public Health and Vaccine Policiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Role Of Public Health and Vaccine Policiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vaccine hesitancy

Dubé

Laberge

Guay

et al. 2013

Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics

1,759

1,350

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…Organised groups who are critical of immunization have been quick to capitalise on these environments and use social media to communicate their messages. Such groups are now active on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace [1], You Tube [2], message boards, and also have dedicated websites. [3][4][5] While opponents of immunization are limited in number, they are vocal and active.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lessons from an online debate about measles–mumps–rubella (MMR) immunization

Nicholson

Leask

2012

Vaccine

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“…[17][18][19] Founded in 2005, YouTube is now frequently used by health professionals and the public as a platform to share medical information due to its free service and easy accessibility. 17 The average user is between 12 and 17 y of age and 70% of YouTube traffic comes from outside the US.…”

Section: Hpv Coverage On the Internetmentioning

confidence: 99%

The internet’s role in HPV vaccine education

Patel

Berenson

2014

Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics

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T he internet is the second most popular source, after healthcare providers, of information regarding human papillomavirus (HPV). These online searches usually begin with the user entering generic terms in the search engine, and then reading the first few results that the engine returns. Unfortunately, research shows that much of this information obtained about the HPV vaccine is inaccurate and incomplete. In this review, we summarize the literature pertaining to online information concerning the HPV vaccine and review concerns related to obtaining online medical information. Finally, we propose possible solutions medical providers can employ in their everyday practice to help their patients obtain accurate information through their online searches. IntroductionAs many as 86% of adults in North America use the internet to access medical information, making it the third most frequent online activity.1,2 The quality of this information varies drastically, raising concerns when the information is used by individuals to make medical decisions.3,4 Internet information regarding the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine is no exception. In this article, we review the current use of the internet and information available through this forum with regards to the HPV vaccine. We then analyze the potential concerns regarding this mode of information exchange and propose measures that may improve the quality of information available to the public. Teenagers and the InternetUp to half of US teenagers use the internet to obtain health information. 5,6 Having grown up in the digital age, adolescents are able to surf the internet with ease. More importantly, teenagers are able to access medical information anonymously, allowing them to research topics that would otherwise be embarrassing to discuss in person. For example, teenagers often use the internet to obtain information on topics such as depression, eating disorders, sexual health, and sexually transmitted diseases. This was demonstrated by Harvey et al. who found that many of the medical questions teenagers posed to the physician-operated website Teenage Health Freak were related to sexual health. 7 Even teenagers with lower socioeconomic background seek online health information which may be due to parents with lower education asking their children to search for health information for the entire family.8 Unfortunately, this reliance on teenagers to search for health information poses serious issues with regards to the quality of the information obtained and the interpretation of the data retrieved. 7,9Parents and the Internet Parents of higher education, frequently use the internet to research their children's health problems. 10 In their study of 998 parents who accompanied their child to a primary care doctor's visit, Moseley et al. found that almost all (96%) had used the internet to obtain information on their child's health prior to the clinic

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An analysis of the Human Papilloma Virus vaccine debate on MySpace blogs

Cited by 190 publications

References 22 publications

Vaccine hesitancy

Vaccine hesitancy

Lessons from an online debate about measles–mumps–rubella (MMR) immunization

The internet’s role in HPV vaccine education

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