Vaccination fascination: exploring unintended consequences of sharing COVID-19 vaccination status on social media

Abstract

During the introduction of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine to Canada, social media platforms saw an influx of healthcare professionals sharing their vaccination status with family, friends, and community. This trend, intended to promote vaccine uptake and reduce hesitancy among the broader public, may have the potential to precipitate unintended consequences as immunization rollout continues. This commentary seeks to discuss these potential consequences drawing on past research of healthcare professionals’ social media use, the impact of social media upon the COVID-19 pandemic, and vaccination programming.