The Role of Social Networks/Media Use in the Acceptance of Anti-Vaccination Content

Abstract

After the first vaccines were developed, the global response to the COVID-19 crisis was focused on preventing infections. However, attempts to achieve a fully vaccinated population faced certain challenges, including doubt or complete rejection of scientifically established facts about the effectiveness of vaccines harbored by some people. In an effort to investigate and understand the factors associated with vaccine hesitancy, this paper examines recent findings about the role of social networks/media use and acceptance of anti-vaccination content during the pandemic in Croatia through a systematic literature review of pertinent research. In general, the literature review highlights the most important findings about the role of social networks/ media use and acceptance of antivaccine content, but the results also highlight the limitations of the research. The objective of this literature review, focusing on articles published 2020-2022, was to provide deeper insight and understanding of the role of social networks/media in the context of the acceptance of anti-vaccination content, bearing in mind the analytical criteria of the literature review with respect to the research design and the methods used.