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Investigating COVID-19 Vaccine Communication and Misinformation on TikTok: Cross-sectional Study
Katherine van Kampen1, Jeremi Laski2, Gabrielle Herman1
1Michael G DeGroote School of Medicine Faculty of Health Sciences McMaster University Hamilton, ON Canada.
JMIR Infodemiology
|November 7, 2022
Summary
Most TikToks about COVID-19 vaccines support their use, even when created by laypersons. Understanding content on social media is crucial for public health and medical education.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Social Media Analysis
- Vaccinology
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the need for reliable vaccine information.
- Vaccine hesitancy presents a significant public health challenge.
- Social media platforms like TikTok are increasingly used for health information dissemination, particularly by young adults.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the content of trending TikTok videos related to the #covidvaccine hashtag.
- To describe the characteristics of creators and the messages conveyed in these videos.
Main Methods:
- Downloaded and reviewed 250 TikToks tagged with #covidvaccine.
- Selected 100 videos in English for detailed analysis.
- Coded videos for creator type (healthcare professional vs. layperson), HCP verification, genre, and misinformation.
Main Results:
- Of 102 analyzed videos, 14.7% featured verified healthcare professionals (HCPs).
- All HCP-created videos supported COVID-19 vaccine use.
- Overall, 81.3% of all analyzed TikToks promoted vaccine use.
Conclusions:
- A majority of #covidvaccine TikTok content supports vaccine use.
- Incorporating social media analysis into medical education is essential for preparing future healthcare providers.
- Understanding discourse on platforms like TikTok is vital for addressing vaccine hesitancy.
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