ABSTRACT
SM sites have helped spread information during a pandemic in a way that has never been done before in human history. However, when using SM platforms (SMP onwards) during a pandemic, there are many pros and cons. The development of vaccinations and other important medical advances are among the most notable in the world of healthcare. Their acceptance is minimal, and vaccine refusal and hesitancy severely threaten public health. Even though immunization has come a long way in the last century, the World Health Organisation says that some people still do not want to be vaccinated. Health information from different places, like the Internet and social media (SM onwards), can make people less likely to get vaccinated. As technology has improved, so has SM’s global influence. Unlike traditional media, SM allows users to create and distribute content globally quickly. Users can pick and choose content streams, increasing ideological isolation. Anti-vaccination messages on these platforms pose severe risks to public health, such as a loss of trust in future vaccine development for new infections like SARS-CoV-2 for COVID-19 protection. In this paper, we look at how SM can spread fear about vaccines and how it can be used to help people learn more about health and trust in vaccinations.
