Treato and MediaMiser join forces on flu vaccine report

Report analyzes attitudes of media and online consumers toward the flu shot

Online consumers, particularly parents, remain skeptical of the flu shot despite the media’s efforts to positively endorse this year’s vaccine, according to a data analysis released this week by Treato and MediaMiser.

The co-analysis shows a disconnect between media and consumers: while media reports this flu season focused on the vaccine’s efficacy compared to last year’s, most commenters in online discussions still held deep reservations about side effects, mistrust of government vaccine recommendations, and so-called “Big Pharma” profit motives.

Additional findings from the report include:

Those who got the flu shot are committed to it year after year: 71 per cent of those surveyed who got it this year received the flu shot last year.

Effectiveness was the most-mentioned issue in media coverage, followed by accessibility and children’s related issues.

Coverage of the flu shot in online media coverage was mostly positive or neutral, at more than 80 per cent of all only articles analyzed.

Of all categories analyzed in media coverage, skepticism/side effects was the least mentioned (at just three per cent of all content).

The Associated Press published the most articles about the flu shot, while California and Pennsylvania were the top US states to feature coverage.

FluMist was the most mentioned flu shot brand in online media coverage.

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