Why You See COVID-19 Vaccine Selfies All Over Facebook and Twitter

Jon Chapman doesn’t turn into a mutant. The 38-year-old medical laboratory scientist from Iowa City had his first COVID-19 vaccination the Monday before Christmas, and apart from a pain in his arm, he was feeling fine.

It hasn’t grown a tail since, it has no scales and – so far – there is no sign of wings. He wanted his friends and family to know that.

So he took a picture and posted it on Facebook.

“I really felt the message should get out: the people you know, the people you trust, your friends, your family members are getting the vaccine,” Chapman said. “It’s safe. It’s effective. It’s a good thing for yourself, and it’s a good thing for society in general.”

Chapman is far from alone. Open up Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook these days and you’re likely to see pictures of people, masked with their sleeves rolled up, stuck in their arms, or holding small rectangles of paper with their vaccine information.

Some are posting the photos in hopes of opening a dialogue with followers who question the vaccine. Others just want to share a moment that has been long in coming, a symbol of hope that life can someday regain some semblance of normalcy.

How to say thank you to health workers and scientists for their sacrifice and service? Get the vaccine as soon as possible to lighten their burden and continue to wear a mask to protect your fellow citizens. In my 80th year, I am grateful and optimistic for better days to come. pic.twitter.com/emGDlnYL2E

– Patrick Stewart (@SirPatStew) January 22, 2021

Photos are from all over the world – from the United States to England, Morocco at Jordan. Famous faces even jump into the trend, including Patrick stewart, Anthony Hopkins, Martha Stewart, Bill Gates, Joan Collins and Sean Penn, as well as political leaders like President Joe Biden and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Keep track of the coronavirus pandemic.

Despite the fact that COVID-19 has killed more than 400,000 people in the United States alone, according to Johns Hopkins, not everyone is clamoring to roll up their sleeves.

In a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, only 71% said they would definitely receive the vaccine. The other respondents said they probably would not or absolutely would not be vaccinated, citing reasons such as side effects, and fears that the vaccine is too new and that the government cannot guarantee its safety. Getting people vaccinated is important, however. According to the Cleveland Clinic, a 100-year-old medical center responsible for breakthroughs like coronary bypass surgery, around 50% to 80% of the population must be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity threshold. Herd immunity is the idea that when a certain percentage of the population becomes immune, the spread of disease is less likely, even to those who have not been vaccinated.

Meanwhile, vaccine misinformation has been rampant for years. But while false information can make it seem like an impossible situation to put toothpaste back in the tube, some people are hoping that doing something as simple as posting a vaccine photo might help counter part of that. .

Show hope

While it’s nearly impossible to measure the impact a wave of vaccination selfies might have on public opinion, there’s reason to believe it might help.

On the one hand, there is the concept of social proof. Think of it like this: If you’ve seen two restaurants and one was empty and the other packed, at least in the pre-COVID era, you might assume that the busy business was the better bet.

“People say social comparison [is] bad, but it’s actually a scalable device to make sure we can navigate our social environments, “said Pamela Rutledge, director of the Media Psychology Research Center.” If we weren’t paying attention to what other people were doing, we would die. ”

Seeing a lot of people doing something may indicate that it is socially acceptable. And people know it.

“People who don’t trust large organizations” like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Food and Drug Administration “can trust their friend later, or they can trust their doctor they’ve been seeing for 30 years. years old, and they could trust their best friend from elementary school, ”said Anna Hartman, 34, a dietitian and nutritionist from Louisville, Ky., who posted a photo of her immunization record.

The CDC seems to have some understanding on this as well. The organization offers a communications toolkit on its website, which includes downloadable posters and stickers with things like social distancing advice. There are also examples of posts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram explaining why the vaccine will be crucial in stopping the spread of the virus.

This toolkit motivated 62-year-old nurse practitioner Sue DeNisco of Stamford, Connecticut, to post. The community health center where she works sent an email encouraging people to take a poster photo after receiving the vaccine and display it.

“It will be a challenge to get people vaccinated … and I think social media is a way to help get the word out, whether it’s by health workers or just the general population,” said DeNisco said.

One of the big takeaways for Hartman: Whether it’s online or offline, some people just need a safe space to voice their concerns and questions.

This can be particularly difficult at a time when even the simple act of wearing a mask can be seen as a political statement.

Jeremy, a 34-year-old pharmacist from Nashville who asked to be identified only by his first name, decided to display his vaccination record but wanted to be sure his supporters understood that he was not making a political statement by doing so. Her post encouraged friends and family to make a decision for themselves, informed by evidence and research.

“I think this is an opportunity to see … health professionals who have confidence in the science that has been produced, as well as the efficacy and safety of the vaccine,” he said. said, noting that whatever the policy, science can speak for itself.

The limits of display

All of this doesn’t mean that enough social media posts will change the minds of all skeptics.

There are hurdles to overcome, said Paul Booth, professor of media and film studies / digital communication and media arts at DePaul University in Chicago. Many social media users live in an echo chamber.

“Groups of people who are not in favor of vaccinations, they may not see [the photos] because either they are in their own little bubble of people who all agree with them or the algorithms that control what we see on [social media] won’t show them that, because they don’t interact with people they don’t agree with, ”Booth said. And yet, he believes there is positive potential.

I am a lucky man. Lucky to work alongside the@LAFDand our big front line@CoreResponsestaff, our partners at Carbon Health, USC and Curative Lab. We test and vaccinate thousands of people per day. We need your support to give more people a chance. Text CORE to 707070 to donate. pic.twitter.com/VeCgAC7hMR

– Sean Penn (@SeanPenn) January 26, 2021

Back in Iowa City, Chapman had more than a few conversations with his sister-in-law about the vaccine. She grew up in a family that didn’t believe in vaccines, and while she didn’t necessarily feel the same way, the long-held apprehension was hard to shake.

He therefore remains patient and respectful and answers all his questions.

“You can tell him data all day, every day,” he says, “but it’s very different when it’s your brother-in-law … talking to you, and I have a photo on Facebook , and we had a conversation. And I said, “Yeah, I got that. Yes, I trust him. I’m not afraid of it. “”

The information in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended for health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have about a medical condition or health goals.