COVID-19 vaccine online misinformation in Fiji Preliminary findings

Digital media opens a vast array of avenues for lay people to effectively engage with news, information and debates about important science and health issues. However, they have also become a fertile ground for various stakeholders to spread misinformation and disinformation, stimulate uncivil discussions and engender ill-informed, dangerous public decisions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, antivaccination social media accounts were proliferating online, threatening to further escalate vaccine hesitancy. The pandemic signifies not only a global health crisis, it has also proven to be an infodemic, characterised by many conspiracy theories. Prior research indicates that belief in health-related conspiracies can harm efforts to curtail the spread of a virus. This article presents and examines preliminary research findings on COVID-19 vaccine related misinformation being circulated on Fijian Facebook Forums.

Automated summary

Digital media offers opportunities for public engagement with health issues but also facilitates the spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories. During the COVID-19 pandemic, anti-vaccine accounts online have contributed to vaccine hesitancy. The pandemic has shown to be not just a global health crisis, but also an infodemic filled with conspiracy theories.