Narrative communication regarding the Covid-19 vaccine: a thematic analysis of comments on Romanian official Facebook page “RO Vaccinare”

Abstract

As of October 2021, Romania is one of the world’s most affected countries by Covid-19 pandemic, and this occurs on the background of a very slow rate of vaccination. Drawing on the sociology of storytelling, this article highlights various narratives that make the vaccination campaign in Romania difficult. Based on a case study on Romanian official vaccination page “RO Vaccinare,” a thematic analysis on six official narratives and subsequent 137 comments post on the official page highlighted both pro-vaccination narratives and anti-vaccination narratives. The two main narratives reflect different persuasive strategies, so the role of communication experts is vital in avoiding other further mis/disinformation. For example, pro-vaccination narratives repeatedly call for education as the most important variable, given that the detachment from conspiracy theories requires a certain level of socialization in this regard. In addition, the ‘science versus religion’ dichotomy is frequently discussed, with religion being seen as an obstacle to awareness of the role of a vaccination campaign. On the other hand, the motivations invoked in the anti-vaccination narratives discuss the vaccine as an ‘experimental serum,’ while the doctors who administer it are considered ‘killers.’ Also, some of the narratives in this category consider religion to be above science in terms of public health.