Anti-Vaxxers: Why are They Worried about the Coronavirus Vaccine?

Sara Gray

With the coronavirus vaccine being produced and disseminated, it is important to look at the concerns of anti-vaxxers to develop strategies to minimize their refusal. This study looks at how people within the anti-vaxxer community talk about the vaccine. A thematic analysis was conducted using anti-vaxxer posts on social media. There were four major themes. 1) Government Control: The government may make the coronavirus vaccine mandatory and take away citizen’s rights if they do not take it. 2) Side effects: Potentially harmful things could happen if anti-vaxxers took the vaccine. There was also a sub-theme, about the possibly harmful ingredients that could be in the coronavirus vaccine. 3) Questionable Testing: The vaccine has not been sufficiently tested and is, therefore, dangerous. There was also a sub-theme, in which the pandemic and coronavirus vaccine may both be scams under government control. 4) Herd Immunity: Anti-vaxxers shouldn’t need to get the vaccine because everyone will be safe if enough other people get it. There was also a sub-theme, about the high survival rates of those who recover. The four themes help us to identify the main reasons for why the anti-vaxxer community is concerned about the new coronavirus vaccine. With this information, it makes it easier for the pro-vaccine community to devise arguments that will appeal to their concerns, so that anti-vaxxers can better understand the benefits and, hopefully, will decide to be vaccinated.

• From Newberry, Sara Gray is a junior psychology major with a minor in Computer Information Systems. She is a member of the Honors College and Psi Chi National Honor Society. She is also a Teaching Assistant for the Research Methods in Psychology class, and continuing work on a psychological manuscript.