Social Listening Report Number 75: 14 November 2022
- Title
- Social Listening Report Number 75: 14 November 2022
- Type of Report
- Social Listening Report
- Date
- November 14, 2022
- Key Trends In the Report
- The national state of disaster was still lifted. here had been a noticeable rise in COVID-19 infections, which caught many South Africans off guard. Many citizens suspected that actual case numbers were far higher than reported. COVID-19 was no longer seen as coming in large waves but rather in smaller outbreaks. There had been widespread confusion about booster eligibility, especially for immunocompromised individuals over 50. Questions were raised about the religious permissibility of vaccine ingredients, particularly those derived from animals.
- Misinformation by Period
- It had been widely claimed that vaccines caused serious health issues such as diabetes, heart attacks, and even increased vulnerability to COVID-19 itself. Some individuals believed that vaccines contained ingredients that were religiously forbidden, particularly those derived from animals. Misinformation around booster shots had caused uncertainty. A few people believed that meningitis vaccines could be used to prevent monkeypox. False information had spread rapidly on platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook, often shared by trusted community members.
- Suggested Recommendations
- The RCCE team had urged government and stakeholders to communicate more clearly about efforts to eliminate measles and polio. Parents and caregivers were encouraged to use the Children’s Road-to-Health booklet to track their children’s vaccination schedules. Authorities had continued to promote booster shots, especially ahead of the festive season. The public had been educated on how to report side effects or complications after vaccination. They were encouraged to use the MedSafety App, email the AEFI team, or call the National Health Hotline for guidance.
- Lockdown Level
- The National State of Disaster lifted
- Cumulative Cases
- 4 033 182
- Cumulative Deaths
- 104 494
- Cumulative Hospitalisations
- 544 846
- Cumulative Recoveries
- 3 928 688
- Total number of vaccines administered to date
- 37 886 760
- Geographical Region
- Africa (South Africa)
- Curators of the report
- Charity Bhengu and Nombulelo Leburu (NDOH)
- 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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