A netnography on misinformation and public perceptions towards human papillomavirus vaccination for oral cancer prevention in Malaysia

The amount of repeated misinformation regarding Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination over social media and internet affects general public perception and knowledge about the association between HPV vaccine and oral cancer. This study aims to investigate misinformation and public perceptions towards HPV vaccination for oral cancer prevention in Malaysia, focusing specifically on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook data. Adopting a qualitative approach, this study utilizes online ethnographic methods (social listening) to explore discussions, sentiments, and trends surrounding HPV vaccination on X and Facebook from January 2022 to March 2024. Data collection involves monitoring tweets/posts related to HPV vaccination and oral cancer prevention in the Malaysian context. Analytical techniques such as content analysis, sentiment analysis, and thematic coding are employed to identify patterns, themes, and attitudes towards HPV vaccination. From the 1,399 posts by 547 unique users, findings from the study reveal prevalent misinformation and varied public perceptions towards HPV vaccination on X and Facebook in Malaysia. Content analysis identifies common themes and misconceptions (health, safety, inefficacy, and pharmacology) surrounding HPV vaccination, while sentiment analysis highlights divergent attitudes within the X and Facebook community.