"Does Pakistan still have polio cases?": Exploring discussions on polio and polio vaccine in online news comments in Pakistan. Issue 3 (15th January 2021)
- Record Type:
- Journal Article
- Title:
- "Does Pakistan still have polio cases?": Exploring discussions on polio and polio vaccine in online news comments in Pakistan. Issue 3 (15th January 2021)
- Main Title:
- "Does Pakistan still have polio cases?": Exploring discussions on polio and polio vaccine in online news comments in Pakistan
- Authors:
- Ittefaq, Muhammad
Baines, Annalise
Abwao, Mauryne
Shah, Sayyed Fawad Ali
Ramzan, Tayyab - Abstract:
- Highlights: Polio is considered a serious threat to public health in Pakistan. Online commenters show empathy for polio health care workers. Misinformation on polio vaccine as an amplification of new polio cases. Online commenters correct misinformation and false claims by providing factual information on polio. Pakistan launches the Perception Management Initiative (PMI) to block anti-vaccination propaganda social media pages. Abstract: Introduction: Polio, which is caused by poliovirus, is a contagious, potentially crippling, and deadly disease. Pakistan is one of the countries in which polio is still endemic in the 21st century. In 2019, 146 polio cases were reported across the country with some resulting in deaths. Following the spread of rumors insinuating that children were falling sick after receiving an anti-polio vaccine, a mob attacked and set fire to a small hospital in the Peshawar district in April 2019. The present study investigates readers' discussions that emerged from Dawn's online readers' comments on polio-related news stories in Pakistan. Methods: Using thematic analysis, we analyzed ( N = 2216) comments made by readers in the polio-related news stories published on Dawn.com from January 1, 2012, to March 1, 2020. Results: Seven major themes emerged from the analysis of the comments: 1) reasons for and challenges resulting in the failure to eradicate polio; 2) proposed solutions and policy changes to eradicate polio; 3) misinformation; 4) criticism,Highlights: Polio is considered a serious threat to public health in Pakistan. Online commenters show empathy for polio health care workers. Misinformation on polio vaccine as an amplification of new polio cases. Online commenters correct misinformation and false claims by providing factual information on polio. Pakistan launches the Perception Management Initiative (PMI) to block anti-vaccination propaganda social media pages. Abstract: Introduction: Polio, which is caused by poliovirus, is a contagious, potentially crippling, and deadly disease. Pakistan is one of the countries in which polio is still endemic in the 21st century. In 2019, 146 polio cases were reported across the country with some resulting in deaths. Following the spread of rumors insinuating that children were falling sick after receiving an anti-polio vaccine, a mob attacked and set fire to a small hospital in the Peshawar district in April 2019. The present study investigates readers' discussions that emerged from Dawn's online readers' comments on polio-related news stories in Pakistan. Methods: Using thematic analysis, we analyzed ( N = 2216) comments made by readers in the polio-related news stories published on Dawn.com from January 1, 2012, to March 1, 2020. Results: Seven major themes emerged from the analysis of the comments: 1) reasons for and challenges resulting in the failure to eradicate polio; 2) proposed solutions and policy changes to eradicate polio; 3) misinformation; 4) criticism, frustration, and shame; 5) comparison of Pakistan to other countries; 6) the internet as a public sphere; 7) suffering, empathy, and appreciation. Overall, our findings suggested that commenters are knowledgeable about polio vaccines and consider polio a serious threat to public health in Pakistan . Conclusion: Our study not only validated previous study findings such as reasons, challenges, and issues related to polio vaccination, but also found new challenges in online news sites concerning misinformation on polio and polio vaccination in Pakistan. … (more)
- Is Part Of:
- Vaccine. Volume 39:Issue 3(2021)
- Journal:
- Vaccine
- Issue:
- Volume 39:Issue 3(2021)
- Issue Display:
- Volume 39, Issue 3 (2021)
- Year:
- 2021
- Volume:
- 39
- Issue:
- 3
- Issue Sort Value:
- 2021-0039-0003-0000
- Page Start:
- 480
- Page End:
- 486
- Publication Date:
- 2021-01-15
- Subjects:
- Misinformation -- Online news comments -- Pakistan -- Polio eradication -- Polio vaccination -- Thematic analysis
Vaccines -- Periodicals
615.372 - Journal URLs:
- http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/0264410X ↗
http://www.clinicalkey.com/dura/browse/journalIssue/0264410X ↗
http://www.clinicalkey.com.au/dura/browse/journalIssue/0264410X ↗
http://www.elsevier.com/journals ↗ - DOI:
- 10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.12.039 ↗
- Languages:
- English
- ISSNs:
- 0264-410X
- Deposit Type:
- Legaldeposit
- View Content:
- Available online (eLD content is only available in our Reading Rooms) ↗
- Physical Locations:
- British Library DSC - 9138.628000
British Library DSC - BLDSS-3PM
British Library HMNTS - ELD Digital store - Ingest File:
- 15412.xml