The onset of social distancing measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a substantial increase in buzz on social media, much of which was centered around the virus itself. Globally, over 40 million conversations about the COVID vaccine have taken place in the last 6 months on social platforms, with the USA accounting for 30% of the conversation pie.

Interest on search is up by over 5000% as curious and concerned citizens closely monitor vaccine updates.

Our analytics and insights division, Cogent inCIghts, uncovered that much of the buzz featured netizens expressing their gratitude towards Pfizer, the scientific research community behind the vaccine, and frontline medical workers. However, skepticism around the vaccine also took the internet by storm, primarily directed at rumors about a healthcare worker having a serious allergic reaction to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine and about the requirement for people getting the Russian Sputnik V shot to refrain from consuming alcohol for a period of 2 months.

Content featuring the latest updates on the vaccine and guidelines for the general public to help combat the pandemic grabbed over 100 million eyeballs. Cogent inCIghts found that the content generated by UNICEF and WHO featured the largest amount of engagement.

While inaccurate news continues to contribute towards misinformation around the vaccine, several concerns were raised, most of which were around

●      Anti-vax beliefs that the COVID-19 vaccines will kill people

●      Fear of allergic responses to the vaccine

●      People calling COVID-19 a hoax

●      Muslim leaders expressing concern overuse of pork-derived gelatin in the vaccine

Consumer behavior trends uncovered by Cogent inCIghts suggests that the time invested by individuals in search of credible information about the vaccine continues to rapidly rise over the first quarter of 2021, as millions prepare to get vaccinated. To help boost global confidence in the upcoming vaccination drives and combat misinformation, organizations like the WHO continue to share updates and recommendations.