Social Listening Report Number 50: 23 May 2022
- Title
- Social Listening Report Number 50: 23 May 2022
- Type of Report
- Social Listening Report
- Date
- May 23, 2022
- Key Trends In the Report
- The national state of disaster was still lifted. The social listening report focused on COVID-19 sentiment, COVID-19 vaccination progress and challenges, additionally online engagement and misinformation. South Africa was transitioning into a new stage of the pandemic. Vaccination uptake documented that nearly 50% of adults had received at least one dose of the vaccine. Searches online were on vaccine safety, mandates and travel requirements. Misinformation stated that vaccines cause infertility, miscarriages or death.
- Misinformation by Period
- The types of misinformation are based on health and safety myths. This includes claims that vaccines cause infertility, miscarriages, or death and belief that natural immunity is better than vaccine-induced immunity. Additionally, conspiracy theories including allegationshat vaccines contain microchips or are part of a global control agenda. Mistrust in government messaging, health authorities, and media reports. Lastly, religious and cultural beliefs claiming that Some believe vaccines are against religious teachings or spiritual practices.
- Suggested Recommendations
- Celebrate vaccination milestones including highlighting the 50% achievement of vaccine coverage as a positive milestone to encourage more vaccine uptake. Strengthen misinformation response including providing weekly myth-busting guides for health workers and community mobilisers. Focus on targeted communication that addresses specific concerns of vulnerable groups.
- Lockdown Level
- The National State of Disaster lifted
- Cumulative Cases
- 3 931 534
- Cumulative Deaths
- 100 952
- Cumulative Hospitalisations
- 529 886
- Cumulative Recoveries
- 3 773 111
- Total number of vaccines administered to date
- 35 905 859
- Geographical Region
- Africa (South Africa)
- Curators of the report
- National department of health
- Social listening team
- WHO AIRA
- Viral Facts
- Community Engagement patners and Call Centre teams
- 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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