Daniel Fritz Silvallana, Daniel Catalán Matamoros, Prawinda Anzari, Pong Kok Shiong
This study examines public attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination by analyzing YouTube comments posted from national news outlets in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia. More than a year since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine hesitancy remains a significant challenge, exacerbated by the politicization of health issues and the spread of misinformation on social media. A Reuters report highlighted how a US-backed anti-vaccine campaign sought to discredit Chinese vaccines in Southeast Asia, underscoring how social media has been weaponized to sow doubt about vaccines. Despite these developments, studies on the relationship between the role of social media and vaccine hesitancy in the region remain limited. Using content analysis, we examined 1,389 YouTube comments posted during national vaccination campaigns in three Southeast Asian countries. Data were collected through web scraping, and comments were analyzed for sources of information, tone toward vaccination, types of public discourses, and engagement levels. Vaccine-hesitant comments were prevalent across all three countries, though their nature varied significantly. In the Philippines, political figures were frequently cited as sources of information, reflecting the country’s politicized media environment. In Indonesia and Malaysia, concerns centered on vaccine ingredients and the adverse effects of vaccine, often linked to religious considerations such as the halal status of vaccines. Politics emerged as a key theme in the Philippines and Indonesia, while Malaysia’s discourse was less politicized and more focused on public health. Notably, vaccine-hesitant comments received significantly higher engagement levels, particularly in Malaysia, highlighting social media’s role in amplifying anti-vaccine sentiments. This study provides critical insights into the nature and prevalence of vaccine hesitancy discourse on social media and its impact on public engagement. It underscores the need for tailored communication strategies that address political and religious contexts to effectively combat vaccine hesitancy in Southeast Asia and beyond. © 2025 Asian Media Information and Communication Centre.
Department of Communication, Davao del Norte State College, Panabo, Philippines; School of Communication and Creative Arts, Deakin University, Burwood, Australia; UC3M MediaLab, Department of Communication and Media Studies, Madrid University Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Department of Communication, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang, Indonesia; Department of Communication, Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University United International College, Zhuhai, China
