Why are you seeing selfies of the COVID-19 vaccine on Facebook and Twitter

Jon Chapman is not turning into a mutant. The Iowa City 38-year-old medical laboratory scientist had his first Vaccination COVID-19 on the Monday before Christmas, and in addition to a sore arm, he felt good.

Since then, it has no tail, no scales and – until now – no sign of wings. He wanted his friends and family to know that.

Then he took a picture and posted it on Facebook.

“I really felt that the message should be spread that people you know, people you trust, your friends, your family members are getting the vaccine,” said Chapman. “It is safe. It is effective. It is good for you and for society in general.”

Chapman is far from alone. Open Instagram, Twitter or Facebook today and you will likely see pictures of people wearing masks with their sleeves rolled up, strapped to their arms or holding small rectangles of paper with vaccine information.

Some post the photos in hopes of opening a dialogue with followers who question the vaccine. Others just want to share a moment that took a long time to arrive, a symbol of hope that life may return to appearing normal one day.

How can we say thanks to healthcare professionals and scientists for their sacrifice and service? Get the vaccine as soon as possible to decrease the burden and continue using a mask to protect fellow citizens. In my 80th year, I am grateful and hopeful for better days ahead. pic.twitter.com/emGDlnYL2E

– Patrick Stewart (@SirPatStew) January 22, 2021

The photos come from all over the world – from the United States to England, Morocco for Jordan. Famous faces are even entering the trend, including Patrick Stewart, Anthony Hopkins, Martha Stewart, bill Gates, Joan Collins, and Sean Penn, as well as political leaders such as President Joe Biden and Congressman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Follow 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 crying out to roll up their sleeves.

In a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, only 71% said they would definitely get the vaccine. The rest of the interviewees said that they probably would not definitively he would not be vaccinated, citing reasons such as side effects and concerns that the vaccine is too young and the government cannot guarantee its safety. However, vaccinating people is important. According to the Cleveland Clinic, a 100-year-old medical center responsible for advances such as myocardial revascularization surgery, about 50% to 80% of the population needs to be vaccinated to reach the herd’s immunity limit. Herd immunity is the idea that when a certain percentage of the population becomes immune, the spread of the disease is less likely, even for those who have not been vaccinated.

Meanwhile, misinformation about vaccines has been rampant for years. But while the false information may seem like an impossibility to put toothpaste back in the tube, some people hope that doing something as simple as posting a vaccine photo can help to counteract that.

Posting hope

While it is almost impossible to measure the impact that a wave of vaccination selfies can have on public opinion, there are reasons to believe that it can help.

On the one hand, there is the concept of social proof. Think of it this way: if you saw two restaurants and one was empty and the other crowded, at least in pre-COVID times, you could assume that the hectic business was the best bet.

“People say that the social comparison [is] bad, but it’s actually an evolutionary device to ensure that we can navigate our social environments, “said Pamela Rutledge, director of the Center for Research in Media Psychology.” If we didn’t pay attention to what other people are doing, we would die. ”

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

“People who don’t trust large organizations” like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Food and Drug Administration “can trust their friends in the future, or they can trust their doctor they have seen for 30 years, and they can trust your best friend from elementary school, “said Anna Hartman, 34, a registered nutritionist from Louisville, Kentucky, who posted a photo of her vaccination card.

The CDC seems to have some sense of that, too. The organization offers a communication toolkit on its website, which includes downloadable posters and stickers with tips on social distance. There are also examples of posts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram about why the vaccine will be crucial to stop the virus from spreading.

This toolkit motivated nurse Sue DeNisco, of Stamford, Connecticut, 62, to post. The community health center where she works sent an email encouraging people to take a picture with a poster after getting the vaccine and posting it.

“It will be a challenge to vaccinate people … and I think social networks are a way to help spread the word, whether by health professionals or just by the general population,” said DeNisco.

One of Hartman’s great conclusions: whether online or offline, some people just need a safe space to expose their anxieties 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 by first name only, decided to post his vaccination record, but wanted to make sure his followers understood that he was not making a political statement in doing so. His message encouraged friends and family to make a decision for themselves, based on evidence and research.

“I think it is an opportunity to see … healthcare professionals who are confident in the science that has been produced and in the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine,” he said, noting that regardless of policy, science can speak for itself.

Posting limits

All of this does not mean that enough posts on social media will change the minds of all skeptics.

There are obstacles to contend with, said Paul Booth, professor of media and cinema / digital communication studies 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 vaccination may not see [the photos] because either they are in their own bubble of people who agree with them or the algorithms that control what we see [social media] is not going to show it to them, because they are not interacting with people they disagree with, “said Booth. Still, he thinks there is a positive potential.

I’m a lucky man. Lucky to work alongside the@LAFDand our great front line@CoreResponseemployees, our partners at Carbon Health, USC and Curative Lab. We test and vaccinate thousands per day. We need your support so that more people are lucky. Send a message with 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 home that didn’t believe in vaccines, and while she doesn’t necessarily feel the same, the deep-seated apprehension has been hard to shake off.

Therefore, he remains patient and respectful and answers any questions she may have.

“You can count her data all day, every day,” he said, “but it’s very different when it’s your brother-in-law … talking to you, and I have a picture on Facebook, and we had a conversation. said, “Yes, I understand. Yes, I do. I’m not afraid of that.” ”

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