Related Experiment Videos
Antivaccination activists on the world wide web
1Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Sydney A27, NSW 2006, Australia.
Archives of Disease in Childhood
|June 29, 2002
Summary
Parents frequently encounter antivaccination websites online. These sites use emotional appeals rather than scientific facts, making them difficult to counter with evidence-based information.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Digital Communication
Background:
- The internet is a significant source of health information for parents.
- Antivaccination content online may influence parental decisions regarding vaccination.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the prevalence of antivaccination websites.
- To analyze the content and persuasive strategies used by these sites.
Main Methods:
- Searched seven major search engines using terms like "vaccination" and "immunisation".
- Analyzed the top 10 search results from each engine.
- Conducted a detailed content analysis of 100 antivaccination websites found via Google.
Main Results:
- 43% of examined websites contained antivaccination content, including all top 10 Google results.
- Common themes included questioning scientific evidence, appealing to parental concerns about child safety, and alleging conspiracies between medical professionals, industry, and government.
Conclusions:
- Parents are highly likely to encounter sophisticated antivaccination material online.
- Countering these sites effectively may require strategies beyond simple factual refutation due to their strong rhetorical appeals.