title: Opportunities and challenges of Web 2.0 for vaccination decisions.
abstract: A growing number of people use the Internet to obtain health information, including information about vaccines. Websites that allow and promote interaction among users are an increasingly popular source of health information. Users of such so-called Web 2.0 applications (e.g. social media), while still in the minority, represent a growing proportion of online communicators, including vocal and active anti-vaccination groups as well as public health communicators. In this paper, the authors: define Web 2.0 and examine how it may influence vaccination decisions; discuss how anti-vaccination movements use Web 2.0 as well as the challenges Web 2.0 holds for public health communicators; describe the types of information used in these different settings; introduce the theoretical background that can be used to design effective vaccination communication in a Web 2.0 environment; make recommendations for practice and pose open questions for future research. The authors conclude that, as a result of the Internet and Web 2.0, private and public concerns surrounding vaccinations have the potential to virally spread across the globe in a quick, efficient and vivid manner. Web 2.0 may influence vaccination decisions by delivering information that alters the perceived personal risk of vaccine-preventable diseases or vaccination side-effects. It appears useful for public health officials to put effort into increasing the effectiveness of existing communication by implementing interactive, customized communication. A key step to providing successful public health communication is to identify those who are particularly vulnerable to finding and using unreliable and misleading information. Thus, it appears worthwhile that public health websites strive to be easy to find, easy to use, attractive in its presentation and readily provide the information, support and advice that the searcher is looking for. This holds especially when less knowledgeable individuals are in need of reliable information about vaccination risks and benefits.
authors.affiliation: Center for Empirical Research in Economics and Behavioral Sciences (CEREB), University of Erfurt, Nordhäuser Strasse 63, D-99089 Erfurt, Germany. cornelia.betsch@uni-erfurt.de
authors.forename: Cornelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Betsch
authors.forename: Noel T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Brewer
authors.forename: Pauline
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brocard
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gaissmaier
authors.forename: Niels
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Haase
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leask
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Renkewitz
authors.forename: Britta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Renner
authors.forename: Valerie F
authors.initials: VF
authors.lastname: Reyna
authors.forename: Constanze
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rossmann
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sachse
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schachinger
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siegrist
authors.forename: Marybelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stryk
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology*; D058015:Health Communication / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D061108:Social Media / Q000639:trends*; D014611:Vaccination / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology*; D014612:Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D014612:Vaccines