News
ICViewExpert PerspectivesMedical World NewsPathogen PlaybookVideosWebinars
Conference CoverageConference ListingAPIC Chapters
Infection Control TodaySupplements And Featured Publications
CME/CEEditorial Advisory BoardJob BoardPartnersSponsoredWhitepapers
Subscribe
Educator of the Year Official Rules2024 Educator of the Year Winner2023 Educator of the Year WinnerEducator of the Year
Advanced TechnologyAdvanced TechnologyAdvanced Technology
Bug of the Month
COVID-19
Environmental ServicesEnvironmental Services
HAIs
Hand Hygiene
IC Trends
Long-Term CareLong-Term Care
Operating Room
Personal Protective EquipmentPersonal Protective Equipment
Policy
PreventionPreventionPreventionPrevention
Sterile ProcessingSterile Processing
Surface Disinfection
Vascular Access
Spotlight -
  • IC Trends
  • Bug of the Month
  • Featured Articles
  • Featured Columns
  • Pathogen Playbook
Advanced TechnologyAdvanced TechnologyAdvanced Technology
Bug of the Month
COVID-19
Environmental ServicesEnvironmental Services
HAIs
Hand Hygiene
IC Trends
Long-Term CareLong-Term Care
Operating Room
Personal Protective EquipmentPersonal Protective Equipment
Policy
PreventionPreventionPreventionPrevention
Sterile ProcessingSterile Processing
Surface Disinfection
Vascular Access
    • News
    • Subscribe
Advertisement

Twitter is a Popular Source for Vaccination Information, Debate

May 30, 2013
Article

Twitter is a popular source for receiving and sharing new information about vaccines, and also a basically reliable one, according to a study published in the June 2013 issue of the American Journal of Infection Control.

Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin analyzed 9,510 vaccination-related tweets from one week in January, 2012 to determine the most popular and influential messages. A final sample of 2,580 tweets that had received engagement through re-posting and sharing was then coded for frequency of sharing, tone toward vaccinations, links to sources (e.g., news outlets, advocacy groups, or healthcare providers), and whether the claims being made in each tweet were scientifically substantiated.

Overall, 33 percent of the 2,580 tweets carried a positive tone about vaccines, 54 percent were neutral, and 13 percent were negative. Of the 14 percent of tweets that contained medical information, more than two-thirds offered content substantiated by scientific research.

The most popular messages concerned a potential childrens malaria vaccine, development of the NeuVax E-75 vaccine for breast cancer, the effectiveness of a herpes vaccine in women, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)s recommendation of a human papilloma virus vaccination for boys, potential approval for a lung cancer vaccine, and a blog post discrediting vaccine-autism connections.

Frequent information sources shared through tweets included health-specific sites such as WebMD (16 percent of 341 links), national media such as the New York Times (13 percent), medical organizations such as the American Medical Association (12 percent), and digital news aggregators including the Huffington Post (10 percent). The specific outlets mentioned are representative examples, though did dominate their categories.

News and health organizations received mostly positive attention in comparison with political or advocacy groups, indicating users are favorably viewing established sources in their health-information seeking, state the authors. In this sample, it appears that Twitter users share mostly reputable information and sources while actively mobilizing others to seek reliable health information. Results of the snapshot can help explain what social media content patients consume and respond to, as well as help determine directions for educational campaigns.

Source: APIC

Recent Videos
Jordan Bastian, MPH, CIC, at APIC25
Jordan Bastian, MPH, CIC, at APIC25
Pathogen Playbook Presenter: Sharon Ward-Fore, BS, MS, MT(ASCP), CIC, FAPIC
Pathogen Playbook Presenter: Sharon Ward-Fore, BS, MS, MT(ASCP), CIC, FAPIC
Pathogen Playbook Presenter: Sharon Ward-Fore, BS, MS, MT(ASCP), CIC, FAPIC
Pathogen Playbook Presenter: Sharon Ward-Fore, BS, MS, MT(ASCP), CIC, FAPIC
Pathogen Playbook Presenter: Sharon Ward-Fore, BS, MS, MT(ASCP), CIC, FAPIC
Pathogen Playbook Presenter: Sharon Ward-Fore, BS, MS, MT(ASCP), CIC, FAPIC
Pathogen Playbook Presenter: Sharon Ward-Fore, BS, MS, MT(ASCP), CIC, FAPIC
Pathogen Playbook Presenter: Sharon Ward-Fore, BS, MS, MT(ASCP), CIC, FAPIC
Related Content

The doctor is injecting a vaccination into the arm of a little girl.   Adobe Stock 170524806 by pingpao

No Link Found Between Aluminum in Vaccines and Chronic Disorders

Tori Whitacre Martonicz
July 14th 2025
Article

A Danish study of 1.2 million children found no increased risk of autoimmune, allergic, or neurodevelopmental disorders from aluminum in early childhood vaccines, helping close key safety evidence gaps.


Weekly Rounds with Infection Control Today

Weekly Rounds: Stretcher Contamination, Lumens 2.0, and More

July 14th 2025
Article

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending July 13, 2025.


CDC  (Adobe Stock, unknown)

CDC Urges Vigilance: New Recommendations for Monitoring and Testing H5N1 Exposures

Infection Control Today® Editorial Staff
July 11th 2025
Article

With avian influenza A(H5N1) infections surfacing in both animals and humans, the CDC has issued updated guidance calling for aggressive monitoring and targeted testing to contain the virus and protect public health.


IP LifeLine from Infection Control Today

IP LifeLine: Layoffs and the Evolving Job Market Landscape for Infection Preventionists

Brenna Doran, PhD, MA, ACC, CIC
July 11th 2025
Article

Infection preventionists, once hailed as indispensable during the pandemic, now face a sobering reality: budget pressures, hiring freezes, and layoffs are reshaping the field, leaving many IPs worried about their future and questioning their value within health care organizations.


Washing hands at a sink  (Adobe Stock 1298928756)

A Helping Hand: Innovative Approaches to Expanding Hand Hygiene Programs in Acute Care Settings

Kerri Simone, MPH, CIC;Alexander O’Flaherty Linehan ;Will Zacamy
July 9th 2025
Article

Who knew candy, UV lights, and a college kid in scrubs could double hand hygiene adherence? A Pennsylvania hospital’s creative shake-up of its infection prevention program shows that sometimes it takes more than soap to get hands clean—and keep them that way.


Cori L. Ofstead, MSPH; Brandon M. Gantt, MHA, CRCST, CHL, CER, LSSGBH; and Jill E. Holdsworth, MS, CIC, FAPIC, NREMT, CRCST, CHL

Lumens 2.0 Study Results: Borescopes Reveal Hidden Challenges of Cleaning Lumened Surgical Instruments

Tori Whitacre Martonicz
July 8th 2025
Article

A groundbreaking study presented at HSPA25 and APIC25 exposed hidden contamination lurking inside orthopedic and neurosurgical instruments—even after cleaning. The Lumens 2.0 research highlights why infection prevention must look deeper than surface-level protocols.

Related Content

The doctor is injecting a vaccination into the arm of a little girl.   Adobe Stock 170524806 by pingpao

No Link Found Between Aluminum in Vaccines and Chronic Disorders

Tori Whitacre Martonicz
July 14th 2025
Article

A Danish study of 1.2 million children found no increased risk of autoimmune, allergic, or neurodevelopmental disorders from aluminum in early childhood vaccines, helping close key safety evidence gaps.


Weekly Rounds with Infection Control Today

Weekly Rounds: Stretcher Contamination, Lumens 2.0, and More

July 14th 2025
Article

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending July 13, 2025.


CDC  (Adobe Stock, unknown)

CDC Urges Vigilance: New Recommendations for Monitoring and Testing H5N1 Exposures

Infection Control Today® Editorial Staff
July 11th 2025
Article

With avian influenza A(H5N1) infections surfacing in both animals and humans, the CDC has issued updated guidance calling for aggressive monitoring and targeted testing to contain the virus and protect public health.


IP LifeLine from Infection Control Today

IP LifeLine: Layoffs and the Evolving Job Market Landscape for Infection Preventionists

Brenna Doran, PhD, MA, ACC, CIC
July 11th 2025
Article

Infection preventionists, once hailed as indispensable during the pandemic, now face a sobering reality: budget pressures, hiring freezes, and layoffs are reshaping the field, leaving many IPs worried about their future and questioning their value within health care organizations.


Washing hands at a sink  (Adobe Stock 1298928756)

A Helping Hand: Innovative Approaches to Expanding Hand Hygiene Programs in Acute Care Settings

Kerri Simone, MPH, CIC;Alexander O’Flaherty Linehan ;Will Zacamy
July 9th 2025
Article

Who knew candy, UV lights, and a college kid in scrubs could double hand hygiene adherence? A Pennsylvania hospital’s creative shake-up of its infection prevention program shows that sometimes it takes more than soap to get hands clean—and keep them that way.


Cori L. Ofstead, MSPH; Brandon M. Gantt, MHA, CRCST, CHL, CER, LSSGBH; and Jill E. Holdsworth, MS, CIC, FAPIC, NREMT, CRCST, CHL

Lumens 2.0 Study Results: Borescopes Reveal Hidden Challenges of Cleaning Lumened Surgical Instruments

Tori Whitacre Martonicz
July 8th 2025
Article

A groundbreaking study presented at HSPA25 and APIC25 exposed hidden contamination lurking inside orthopedic and neurosurgical instruments—even after cleaning. The Lumens 2.0 research highlights why infection prevention must look deeper than surface-level protocols.

Advertise
About Us
Editorial Board
Contact Us
Job Board
Terms and Conditions
Privacy
Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Contact Info

2 Commerce Drive
Cranbury, NJ 08512

609-716-7777

© 2025 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.
Home
About Us
News