Vaccine rumors and trust among vaccine hesitant communities in Sweden

Vaccines save lives, yet vaccine hesitancy and refusal remains one of the most pressing global health threats of our time. Reasons for vaccine hesitancy or refusal are complex.

They are often linked to rumours about vaccines and/or communities’ distrust in the government, public institutions or the private sector.

Social media pose an additional threat to vaccine confidence as it has emerged as a platform where vaccine rumours can be shared at an unprecedented pace.

In Sweden, vaccine hesitancy has been observed in connection to the measles, human papilloma virus (HPV) and the H1N1 vaccines. The Covid19 pandemic has created further opportunities for vaccine hesitancy to thrive.

Rumours about vaccines have spread and the public’s trust in the government has arguably been affected by their response to the pandemic.

The purpose of this project is to contribute to current knowledge about vaccine rumours and vaccine trust among communities in Järna and Rosengård, Malmö, which the Swedish Public Health Agency has identified as vaccine hesitant. The study design is qualitative. Data will be collected from social media and from focus group discussions with vaccine hesitant communities.

The project will be conducted during a two-year period.

Research collaborations exist between the applicant and the Public Health Agency, a community nurse in Järna, and Yalla Trappan, a non-governmental organization working in Rosengård.

An in-depth understanding of vaccine rumours and trust will be necessary for the development of communication strategies and interventions that seek to prevent those factors from undermining vaccine confidence. This in turn shall contribute to maintaining high vaccine confidence and coverage in Sweden and globally.