Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Infodemiology
Date Submitted: Oct 24, 2024
Open Peer Review Period: Oct 24, 2024 - Dec 19, 2024
Date Accepted: Sep 20, 2025
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
Public Discourse on Vaccination in Spanish and Catalan: A Qualitative Exploration of Social and Political Themes on X
ABSTRACT
Background:
The analysis of social networks should be considered by institutions and governments alongside surveys and other conventional methods for assessing public attitudes toward vaccines. X (formerly Twitter) has emerged as a significant source for studying vaccine hesitancy.
Objective:
To conduct a qualitative analysis of Spanish- and Catalan-language posts, comments, and opinions regarding vaccination and antivaccination discourse on X.
Methods:
Spanish and Catalan posts from X were collected between March and December 2021. The data were analysed using qualitative thematic analysis. The distribution of thematic categories was reflected as percentages of the entire dataset to infer the overall thematic breakdown.
Results:
A total of 479,734 posts were analysed, contributed by 29,706 users. Six predominant themes were identified: (T1) Vaccine Acquisition and Distribution , (T2) Vaccine Scepticism and Criticism , (T3) Pro-Vaccination Stance , (T4) Global COVID-19 Situation , (T5) Vaccine Politics and International Relations , and (T6) Miscellaneous News and Posts . We observed that while some posts supported vaccination, others expressed concerns about vaccine safety and efficacy, promoted conspiracy theories, disseminated misinformation, or opposed scientific consensus. Challenges related to vaccine acquisition and distribution within specific countries were also identified, along with political and economic factors, such as the politicisation of vaccines, which hindered equitable distribution between vaccine-producing and vaccine-needing countries. Additionally, the pandemic’s social impact fostered community support initiatives and solidarity.
Conclusions:
Our findings can inform measures to promote vaccine acceptance reinforce trust in healthcare systems, professionals, and scientific perspectives, thereby improving vaccination coverage. These insights may serve as a foundation for developing sociopolitical strategies to enhance vaccination management and address future pandemics or new vaccination campaigns. Clinical Trial: None
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