Debate on dengue generates contradiction in anti-vaccine groups – 02/19/2024 – Frequently Forwarded

Dengue has already affected more than half a million Brazilians in 2024. In addition to the challenges in combating the disease, public authorities are also facing an epidemic of misinformation that could impact the effectiveness of public health measures.

Using our social media analysis tool, it is possible to notice that interest in “dengue” surpassed that of “vaccine” on WhatsApp and Telegram from January 20, 2024. More than 3 million users were reached by the discussions, representing 8% of our total sample.

The debate on dengue has generated contradictions in groups that traditionally discuss anti-vaccine topics. On the one hand, users criticize the shortage of dengue vaccines, blaming the federal government, and using “genocidal” to describe President Lula, making reference to the Covid-19 political crisis. However, in the same groups, users argue that dengue vaccines are part of a larger conspiracy and that they should be avoided at any cost.

Anti-vaccine groups engage in a variety of topics, from politics to health tips. They have titles such as “Brazilian Right”, “Home Remedies”, “STF National Shame”, “National Liberation”, “Effects of VaChina” and “Unmasking the System”. The typical behavior of these groups is to share any ideologically aligned information, praising speeches and people favorable to the ideas defended.

Reaching more than 40 thousand users, a video circulates with maximum forwards spreading misinformation that it is possible to cure dengue fever by drinking Tahiti lemon juice and sugarcane juice. Messages ask users not to use the vaccine and recommend alternative remedies to treat dengue, such as “orange juice with yam”, “polenta” or “papaya leaf juice” and even “ivermectin”.

At the same time, in the same groups, we found videos and messages that criticize the federal government for not seeking vaccines more urgently. A video by deputy Bruno Engler (PL-MG) is shared with the message “Lula’s genocide didn’t want to buy the vaccine, resulting in thousands of deaths from dengue”. This has generated confusion among users of these groups, who follow an anti-vaccine and alternative medicine trend.

Users criticize Lula’s trip to Egypt, claiming that the president “turns his back on his country and its people in a time of crisis”, also arguing that the money spent on the trip could be used to combat dengue fever. Others are still ironic, questioning how Lula would deal with the pandemic if he is not even able to face dengue.

Conflicting narratives in the same groups have previously been found within messaging applications. One of the causes may be the interests of different actors, even under the same ideological umbrella. Another possibility is the intentional distribution of divergent narratives with the aim of creating complexity on the subject, making communication about public health policies difficult.

The discussion is not limited, however, to right-wing groups. In mixed groups, where there are different ideologies, some users counter criticism by pointing out that there is no connection between the dengue epidemic and any failure of the Lula government. Finally, there are those who praise the government and health policies, saying “long live the SUS”.

There are users reporting dengue symptoms and interactions of an informative nature, advising people to take tests and follow the recommended protocols. For official information on the actions taken by the federal government to combat the dengue epidemic, the information is available on the Ministry of Health website.

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