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Article

Correcting HPV Vaccination Misinformation Online: Evaluating the HPV Vaccination NOW Social Media Campaign

1
Department of Communication, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC 29424, USA
2
Department of Public Health Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
3
Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
4
South Carolina Cancer Alliance, Columbia, SC 29204, USA
5
Mitchell Cancer Institute, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36604, USA
6
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Comprehensive Cancer Center, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Vaccines 2021, 9(4), 352; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines9040352
Submission received: 9 March 2021 / Revised: 28 March 2021 / Accepted: 29 March 2021 / Published: 6 April 2021
(This article belongs to the Section Human Papillomavirus Vaccines)

Abstract

The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine provides protection from six HPV-related cancers. Approximately half of South Carolina adolescents have not completed the vaccination series, representing a missed opportunity to prevent cancer. The HPV Vaccination NOW: This is Our Moment social media campaign is an initiative of the South Carolina Cancer Alliance (SCCA) and Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). This statewide social media campaign aimed to increase parental awareness of and build vaccine confidence around HPV vaccination in S.C. The ten-week campaign was strategically implemented between June and August 2019 to encourage HPV vaccination at back-to-school medical appointments. A process evaluation showed that the campaign resulted in over 370,000 total impressions, reached over 33,000 individuals, and culminated with over 1122 followers. There were over 2700 engagements on Facebook and Twitter. A qualitative content analysis indicated that pro-vaccine and anti-vaccine comments were dominated by personal stories. Comments promoting misinformation about the HPV vaccine were often countered through peer-to-peer dialogue. Findings suggest that creating opportunities for the target audience to engage with campaign messages effectively corrected misinformation.
Keywords: HPV vaccination; campaign; misinformation; parents; social media HPV vaccination; campaign; misinformation; parents; social media

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Sundstrom, B.; Cartmell, K.B.; White, A.A.; Well, H.; Pierce, J.Y.; Brandt, H.M. Correcting HPV Vaccination Misinformation Online: Evaluating the HPV Vaccination NOW Social Media Campaign. Vaccines 2021, 9, 352. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines9040352

AMA Style

Sundstrom B, Cartmell KB, White AA, Well H, Pierce JY, Brandt HM. Correcting HPV Vaccination Misinformation Online: Evaluating the HPV Vaccination NOW Social Media Campaign. Vaccines. 2021; 9(4):352. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines9040352

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sundstrom, Beth, Kathleen B. Cartmell, Ashley A. White, Henry Well, Jennifer Young Pierce, and Heather M. Brandt. 2021. "Correcting HPV Vaccination Misinformation Online: Evaluating the HPV Vaccination NOW Social Media Campaign" Vaccines 9, no. 4: 352. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines9040352

APA Style

Sundstrom, B., Cartmell, K. B., White, A. A., Well, H., Pierce, J. Y., & Brandt, H. M. (2021). Correcting HPV Vaccination Misinformation Online: Evaluating the HPV Vaccination NOW Social Media Campaign. Vaccines, 9(4), 352. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines9040352

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