Viral by Design: Understanding the Influence of Vaccine Memes on Health Communication

Michael Coriasco

doi:10.7273/000007915

Memes are digital messages using images and text to communicate a point of view on social media. They are highly shareable digital artifacts that can serve as vehicles for public health advocacy and misinformation. The increasing role of digital media in public health communication has made internet memes a robust and influential tool in shaping public perceptions of vaccination. This dissertation explores the complex role of vaccine-related memes through three interconnected manuscripts: a concept analysis, a systematic review, and a qualitative study examining vaccination meme evolution over time. Together, these studies provide a comprehensive framework for understanding how memes function as a form of health communication, how they influence health decisions, and what implications they hold for nursing, public health, and policy development. Manuscript 1 presents a concept analysis of memes as health communication tools, identifying four defining attributes: virality, iteration, community identity, and humor. These attributes provide a theoretical foundation for understanding how memes shape vaccine-related narratives and public perceptions. Manuscript 2 builds on this foundation with a systematic review of existing research on vaccine memes, synthesizing findings on how memes contribute to vaccine advocacy and misinformation. The review highlights gaps in the literature, including the need for studies on the impact and effectiveness of memes as public health messaging. Manuscript 3 explores the evolution of vaccination memes by conducting a qualitative content analysis (QCA) and reflexive thematic analysis (RTA) of vaccine memes over time, tracking changes in rhetorical strategies, tone, and stance cross different public health crises. Findings from these manuscripts reveal that memes have evolved and respond to shifting public sentiment, political discourse, and trust in health institutions. Vaccine-related memes have transitioned from expert-driven appeals to emotionally charged and politically divisive rhetoric, emphasizing the need for adaptive public health messaging strategies. The implications of this research extend to public health policy, where the strategic use of digital content, including memes, can be leveraged for effective health communication while mitigating misinformation. This work contributes to the growing field of digital health communication by informing nursing, public health, and media/communication studies. By examining memes as cultural artifacts, this research offers insights into how public health professionals can navigate the digital landscape and respond to emerging challenges in vaccine advocacy. Memes continue to influence health decisions, and public health nurses must be prepared to address the challenges and embrace the opportunities associated with these powerful communication tools.

Viral by Design: Understanding the Influence of Vaccine Memes on Health Communication

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