Associations between vaccine misinformation and influenza vaccine uptake: a population-based interrupted time-series study in China - npj Digital Public Health

A population-based interrupted time-series study in Zhejiang, China, links vaccine misinformation events to measurable drops or slowdowns in influenza vaccination uptake during the vaccination season. Researchers combined large-scale vaccination records with online misinformation timelines and found significant changes after two events tied to vaccine safety or effectiveness claims. For the “Sinovac Vaccine Rumours,” the weekly vaccination growth rate fell from 4.8% before the event to 1.8% after it. For the “Pasteur Influenza Vaccine Incident,” the baseline trend of a 7.3% weekly increase shifted to a 9.0% decrease afterward. Administrative misinformation about a “Disciplinary Case” showed no significant effect, and government-funded rates appeared more consistently affected than self-paid ones.