Toward Bounded Moralization: Rejuvenating Chinese Digital Vaccine Communication Campaigns in Emergencies

Area of Science:

• Public Health Communication
• Social Media Analysis
• Cultural Studies

Background:

• Vaccine communication research often overlooks culturally specific strategies.
• The Chinese state's approach to vaccine promotion, particularly during emergencies, is understudied.
• Existing studies focus on commercial marketing and social mobilization, leaving culturally attuned methods unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine how the Chinese state employs moralization and entertainment in vaccine promotion on social media during emergencies.
• To analyze the framing of vaccination as a civilizational practice integrating Confucian ethics and biomedical rationales.
• To understand the role of entertainment affordances in enhancing affective resonance and participatory engagement in vaccine campaigns.

Main Methods:

• Content analysis of 205 government-produced videos.
• 58 stakeholder interviews were conducted.
• Qualitative analysis of social media content and interviews to identify communication strategies.

Main Results:

• The Chinese state frames vaccination as a civilizational practice, merging Confucian ethics with biomedical science.
• Entertainment elements like playful performance and interactivity are used to boost engagement and emotional connection.
• Overly strong moral appeals can decrease message receptivity, indicating a need for moderation.

Conclusions:

• Effective vaccine communication requires 'bounded moralization,' balancing ethical appeals with practical guidance.
• Culturally grounded health campaigns should integrate collectivist and individualist values, and entertainment with factual information.
• The proposed framework optimizes state-society communication dynamics for persuasive and respectful public health messaging.