Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2002 Jul;87(1):22-5.
doi: 10.1136/adc.87.1.22.

Antivaccination activists on the world wide web

P Davies  1 , S Chapman, J Leask
Affiliations
Review

Antivaccination activists on the world wide web

P Davies et al. Arch Dis Child. 2002 Jul.

Abstract

Aims: To determine the likelihood of finding an antivaccination site on the world wide web and to characterise their explicit claims and rhetorical appeals.

Methods: Using "vaccination" and "immunisation", examining the first 10 sites displayed on seven leading search engines. Detailed examination of content of 100 antivaccination sites found on Google.

Results: 43% of websites were antivaccination (all of the first 10 on Google). Main rhetorical appeals involve themes of the scientific veracity of antivaccination argument; rapport with parents seeking to protect their children from harm; and alleged collusion between doctors, the pharmaceutical industry, and government to deny vaccine harm.

Conclusions: There is a high probability that parents will encounter elaborate antivaccination material on the world wide web. Factual refutational strategies alone are unlikely to counter the highly rhetorical appeals that shape these sites.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. BMJ. 2000 Jul 8;321(7253):109 - PubMed
    1. J Fam Pract. 2000 Aug;49(8):731-3 - PubMed
    1. J Autoimmun. 2001 May;16(3):309-18 - PubMed
    1. Pediatr Ann. 1998 Jul;27(7):445-55 - PubMed
    1. JAMA. 1997 Apr 16;277(15):1244-5 - PubMed