What the Public Was Saying about the H1N1 Vaccine: Perceptions and Issues Discussed in On-Line Comments during the 2009 H1N1 Pandemic

Abstract

During the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, a vaccine was made available to all Canadians. Despite efforts to promote vaccination, the public's intent to vaccinate remained low. In order to better understand the public's resistance to getting vaccinated, this study addressed factors that influenced the public's decision making about uptake. To do this, we used a relatively novel source of qualitative data – comments posted on-line in response to news articles on a particular topic. This study analysed 1,796 comments posted in response to 12 articles dealing with H1N1 vaccine on websites of three major Canadian news sources. Articles were selected based on topic and number of comments. A second objective was to assess the extent to which on-line comments can be used as a reliable data source to capture public attitudes during a health crisis. The following seven themes were mentioned in at least 5% of the comments (% indicates the percentage of comments that included the theme): fear of H1N1 (18.8%); responsibility of media (17.8%); government competency (17.7%); government trustworthiness (10.7%); fear of H1N1 vaccine (8.1%); pharmaceutical companies (7.6%); and personal protective measures (5.8%). It is assumed that the more frequently a theme was mentioned, the more that theme influenced decision making about vaccination. These key themes for the public were often not aligned with the issues and information officials perceived, and conveyed, as relevant in the decision making process. The main themes from the comments were consistent with results from surveys and focus groups addressing similar issues, which suggest that on-line comments do provide a reliable source of qualitative data on attitudes and perceptions of issues that emerge in a health crisis. The insights derived from the comments can contribute to improved communication and policy decisions about vaccination in health crises that incorporate the public's views.

Ontario Kindergarten Teachers’ Social Media Discussions About Full Day Kindergarten

“…This openness is most likely an effect of participants posting anonymously, which apparently permitted them to express their thoughts and feelings with a freedom they may not find in interviews, focus groups, or questionnaires (Porter & Ispa, 2012;Wilkinson & Thelwall, 2011). Similar to Henrich and Holmes (2011) who concluded that social media discussions can be seen as reliable sources of data, this study found a high degree of corroboration between the social media discussions and the findings of research using interviews and focus groups.…”

“…Unlike traditional print news articles, online news articles feature interactivity through a comments section that allows readers to post comments at the end of the article, and this feature has been found to allow for diverse opinions (Manosevitch & Walker, 2009). By examining the discussions posted in response to news articles on the H1N1 vaccine, Henrich and Holmes (2011) discovered that the online themes were consistent with the findings from surveys and focus groups, and the authors conclude that online discussions provide reliable sources of data. Yet, in spite of such advantages, teachers' social media discussions have remained an understudied area of education research (Stitzlein & Quinn, 2012).…”

“…An alternative to traditional methods (i.e., interviews, focus groups) has been found in social media data (Wilkinson & Thelwall, 2011). Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in research examining social media discussions, such as online message boards, blogs, and news forums (Hadert & Rodham, 2008;Henrich & Holmes, 2011;Moorhead et al, 2013;White & Dorman, 2001). Teachers have increasingly been participating in social media discussions to discuss their concerns regarding educational policies (Reichman & Atzi, 2012;Stitzlein & Quinn, 2012).…”

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“…Henrich & Holmes (2011) provide a useful way of thinking about how to analyse any online data [16]: They were interested in developing a set of themes that would let them see public perceptions of the H1N1 vaccine and assumed that the more a topic is mentioned, the more powerful it is in influencing vaccination decision. They looked at 1796 online comments and found the following themes: fear of H1N1 (low and highincluding reasons), responsibility of media, government competency, government trustworthiness, fear of vaccine, pharmaceutical companies and personal protective measures.…”

Acceptance on the move: Public reaction to shifting vaccination realities

“…61,62,79,95 (3) Low levels of awareness did not seem to contribute to low H1N1vaccine uptake. 89 It appears that media coverage 90 and efforts of the official agencies were effective in promoting understanding and knowledge.…”