Infodemia and Vaccination Indecision During COVID-19 Uncertainty

Abstract

Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic has created an infodemia feeding on uncertainty. The soaring numbers of daily COVID-19 cases and casualties also brought about an urgent need for immediate knowledge overflow, which eventually led to a rapid spread of unreliable information pollution. Information pollution, or infodemia, spreads almost as fast as coronavirus and compromises the pandemic control efforts. Considering the fact that mass vaccination is essential and vital to fight against the pandemic, it would be reasonable to argue that infodemia has a farreaching influence on the public opinion toward the vaccination. This review, therefore, was written to increase the knowledge and awareness of health-care professionals, who play an important role in the society’s acceptance of vaccines, about the effects of infodemia and on vaccination indecision during the COVID-19 pandemic.