Social Listening Report Number 61: 08 August 2022
- Title
- Social Listening Report Number 61: 08 August 2022
- Type of Report
- Social Listening Report
- Date
- August 8, 2022
- Key Trends In the Report
- The national state of disaster was still lifted. The first confirmed Covid-19 vaccine-related death in South Africa was reported by SAHPRA, involving Guillain-Barré Syndrome after a J&J vaccine. SAHPRA and the Health Minister reaffirmed that vaccines remained overwhelmingly safe, with only one verified death out of 37 million vaccinations. There was a surge in online interest in vaccine-related topics, such as how the Pfizer vaccine works and vaccine certification. PCR testing numbers dropped by 7.8%, with Gauteng leading in testing and Limpopo the lowest. No new monkeypox cases were reported since June 2022, with only three confirmed cases and no deaths
- Misinformation by Period
- False claims circulated that Covid-19 vaccines caused infertility, particularly targeting women. There were accusations that SAHPRA and health authorities were hiding vaccine-related deaths or were in collusion with pharmaceutical companies. Monkeypox was falsely portrayed as a hoax or exaggerated threat, with some suggesting it was a fabricated disease. Some people believed cold weather could kill the virus, which contradicted scientific evidence. Mistrust was fueled by claims that government and health institutions were not transparent about vaccine risks. Among young people, misinformation included the belief that Covid-19 posed little to no risk to them, leading to vaccine hesitancy.
- Suggested Recommendations
- Authorities were advised to communicate openly and clearly about vaccine safety, especially in response to the confirmed vaccine-related death. Health organisations were encouraged to monitor and respond quickly to misinformation, particularly on social media. It was suggested that youth be targeted with tailored messaging, focusing on self-care and empowerment rather than fear. Localised strategies were recommended, including virtual health sessions, door-to-door campaigns, and engagement with local businesses.
- Lockdown Level
- The National State of Disaster lifted
- Cumulative Cases
- 4 006 871
- Cumulative Deaths
- 104 197
- Cumulative Hospitalisations
- 541 070
- Cumulative Recoveries
- 3 902 674
- Total number of vaccines administered to date
- 37 322 653
- Geographical Region
- Africa (South Africa)
- Curators of the report
- Lizzie Harrison
- William Bird and Peter Benjamin
- 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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