Social Listening Report Number 23: 21 October 2021
- Title
- Social Listening Report Number 23: 21 October 2021
- Type of Report
- Social Listening Report
- Date
- October 21, 2021
- Key Trends In the Report
- The lockdown level was on alert level 1. The document reports on increased vaccine passport interests, since the launch of vaccine passports there had been significant interest, with over 1.5 million downloads. However, many people are faced issues accessing their vaccine certificate codes. There was a slight shift from vaccine hesitancy to acceptance in various parts of the country. In October 2021 there was nearly 250 000 excess deaths due to the pandemic in South Africa. There was also reported youth vaccine hesitancy with 18-34 year olds remaining the most hesitant group. There was misinformation spread on social media about vaccines. During this time some South African music artisits released songs undermining the COVID-19 vaccine efficacy contributing to vaccine hesitancy. Lastly, there was growing opposition towards mandatory vaccinations.
- Misinformation by Period
- Increasing concerns about the possibility of mandatory vaccination. Misinformation about vaccine safety, infertility myths and conspiracy theories population control. Confusion and misinformation about the different vaccine brands and their side effects. Laslty, social media misinformation about vaccine safety among the younger age groups.
- Suggested Recommendations
- Training for persuasive communications. Focus on teenagers for target vaccination campaigns. Address COVID-19 vaccination supply issues. Engage influencers and collaborate with popular figures and celebrities to promote vaccine uptake. Improve vaccine accessibility and counter misinformation and myths
- Lockdown Level
- 1
- Cumulative Cases
- 2 918 367
- Cumulative Deaths
- 88 835
- Cumulative Hospitalisations
- 433 606
- Cumulative Recoveries
- 2 810 316
- Total number of vaccines administered to date
- 21 220 162
- Geographical Region
- Africa (South Africa)
- Curators of the report
- National Department of Health
- Stakeholders
- National Health Hotline: Reports from the national call centre
- Org: NDOH Covid-19 WhatsApp system
- WHO Africa Infodemic Response Alliance (AIRA)
- UNICEF: digital analysis of content on Google, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook, and digital news
- SA Red Cross: Network of over 2,000 community volunteers reporting misinformation and concerns.
- Real 411 Media Monitoring Africa: a mis- and disinformation reporting and debunking initiative
- COVID Comms: a network of communications specialists that produces information on the pandemic.
- DOH Free State & KZN: Provincial Departments of Health
- Health Systems Trust, Community Constituency Front (CCF),
- Health Enabled
- Centre for Communication Impact, Centre for Analytics & Behavioural Change
- Medical Research Council, National Institute for Communicable Diseases,
- SA Vaccination and Immunisation Centre, HSRC, DG Murray Trust, Right to Care
- Universities of Johannesburg, Cape Town, Free State, Wits, Stellenbosch, Sefako Makgatho
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