Exploring childhood vaccination themes and public opinions on Twitter: A semantic network analysis

During the summer of 2018, a measles outbreak hit Europe, resulting in infections and deaths. Reports link the outbreak to increasing vaccine hesitancy fueled partly by anti-vaccine information propagated on social media. This study examines childhood vaccination themes on Twitter using semantic network analysis. Results showed the most prominent theme was HPV vaccination as a disease preventative. The MMR vaccine autism link was the second biggest theme, followed by measles outbreak rates. These themes reflect public opinions on popular vaccine topics and current issues. Results suggest social media may be an effective place to promote childhood vaccines.