The Role of Information Processing in Vaccine Acceptance: A Study of Malaysian Facebook Comments on COVID-19 Boosters

Abstract

Vaccines are biological preparations that provide immunity to specific infectious diseases, playing a crucial role in public health by preventing the spread of illnesses. Given the rapid widespread transmission of COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative to employ an effective vaccination strategy. In early 2021, the Malaysian government launched the National COVID-19 Immunisation Program (NIP) to combat the coronavirus. By mid-2021, the government began promoting heterologous vaccines, urging recipients to take booster shots of a different brand from their initial doses. This study investigates whether the perceptions of Malaysians on COVID-19 vaccination, as expressed on Facebook by the end of 2021, align with the findings of previous studies. Utilising a qualitative content analysis, user-generated comments were collected and analyzed from the top three most popular Malaysian online news media: Malaysiakini, The Star, and New Straits Times, during October and November 2021. The study reveals that a majority of Malaysians were reluctant to receive heterologous vaccines as booster shots due to concerns over safety, efficacy, side effects, and long-term impacts. Additionally, political stances influenced distrust in the healthcare system and fostered conspiracy theories regarding heterologous vaccines. The theoretical implication of this study highlights that information processing significantly affects vaccine acceptance. Clinically, the study contributes to policy-making in vaccine programs and the design of effective awareness campaigns to encourage vaccine uptake.