The anti-vaccination movement: framing on Latvian language Facebook

Abstract

Anti-vaccination movements promote vaccine hesitancy, a significant global threat to public health. In Latvia vaccine hesitancy is of great concern with fears being raised on maintaining vaccination rates at the level needed for herd immunity. It is therefore crucial to understand the anti-vaccination movement, and the concerns of its members, in Latvia, to inform efforts to combat vaccine hesitancy. This thesis uses digital ethnography and frame analysis to study a Latvian anti-vaccination movement Facebook page. The aim was to understand how the arguments of the movement are framed, and compares these with framing identified in other studies, in order to identify if there are any local specificities to the Latvian case. It is found that though the framing is broadly similar there is a greater emphasis on the lack of trust the movement have in the medical system and state in Latvia. This framing also elicits a greater response from those who engage with the movement. This study can be used to inform public health campaigns in Latvia, especially in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. This study also shows the potential for frame analysis and social media studies as a means of researching the anti-vaccination movement.