ZhejiangWeekly flu vaccinations flipped from 7.3% growth to 9.0% decline.
China’s records, not surveys, show uptake falling after two vaccine-safety events, npj Digital Public Health reports.
The paper compares weekly trends before and after three misinformation events, finding Sinovac rumours slowed growth from 4.8% to 1.8% weekly.
The authors say they lack individual-level exposure data, so the association cannot prove cause.
The authors urge health systems to build early-warning and rapid-response communication before each vaccination season.
How each outlet framed it
- Nature
- quantifies misinformation impact with specific rates: Sinovac rumors reduced growth 4.8%→1.8%; Pasteur incident reversed 7.3%→-9.0%
Sources: Nature