South Africa Covid-19 & Vaccine Social Listening Report

"Digital media users continue to disseminate distorted facts and unverified claims about vaccine-related adverse events and deaths that have been widely misinterpreted...."

An infodemic is too much information during a public health crisis - including false or misleading information - in both the digital and physical environments. In the context of a pandemic, a glut of information can confuse people, fuel behaviours that drive the spread of disease, and undermine trust in health authorities, which hampers public health responses and ultimately prolongs outbreaks.

This weekly report on COVID-19 vaccine concerns, sentiments, rumours, and misinformation in South Africa is part of an effort to help quell the infodemic around COVID-19. The Social Listening & Infodemiology team that produces this report is part of the Risk Communications & Community Engagement (RCCE) Working Group of the Department of Health in South Africa. Their goal is to increase vaccine acceptance and compliance with COVID-19 regulations by identifying sentiment on COVID-19 and the vaccine in South Africa to inform health communication that can lead to positive behaviour change.

Providing an analysis of online and offline content, the reports outline key trends, along with proposed actions for RCCE. Examples of the latter include:

• Transparency around adverse events, which, as of the October 24 2022 weekly report, were still a prevalent theme among anti-vaccine groups as well as the general public. The report notes that it is vital that such evidence is shared with the public to ensure that the context and the science is well understood. To that end, RCCE involves promoting and distributing messages on adverse events and educating the public on how to report these events using the MedSafety App, emailing AEFI@health.gov.za, calling the national health hotline at 0800 029 999, or visiting any health public health facility.
• Leveraging of Covid Champions: "Everyone can help end the pandemic!" The RCCE Working Group engages thousands of volunteers to promote vaccinations by providing information to families, communities, and networks (online and offline) and by reporting rumours, hoaxes, concerns. All people who are vaccinated are given a badge and invited to be a Covid Champion. They are invited to take part in weekly webinars in all languages, and they receive daily updates by SMS (text message), WhatsApp, and/or email. Some of the messages the champions convey include:
  • Vaccine ubuntu: I am safe because you are safe; you are safe because I am safe.
  • Siya Kolisi, Thulani Hlatshwayo: "Want to be on my team? Get vaccinated"
  • "Proud to be vaccinated": Vaccine = hope over fear
  • Vaccines save lives! Are you saving the nation?
  • I'm educated; I know about vaccines.
  • We can end the pandemic...if you play your part.
  • If you vaccinated your children, why not you? It's your turn now.

This report is compiled following the methodology of the World Health Organization (WHO) Africa Infodemic Response Alliance (AIRA), which applies the four pillars of an infodemic management framework that was developed by over 1,300 experts from a range of disciplines:

Identify information gaps and misinformation.
1. Simplify technical knowledge.
2. Amplify correct information.
3. Quantify the impact of interventions.

More specifically, the Social Listening & Infodemiology team logs concerns and rumours by gathering information from many partners and sources. These sources may include the health system (e.g., District Health Information Software (DHIS)2), community feedback (e.g., the People's Vaccine Coalition), social media, Praekelt WhatsApp, and Media Monitoring Africa 411. The team then identifies major trends, prioritises key issues, and produces actionable information for communication and improved services.