Facebook Is Main Source Of Vaccine Misinformation For Latinx Consumers

Facebook is the main driver of misinformation on COVID-19 vaccines in the Latinx community, according to a study by Change Research. 

Of the 37% of Latinx consumers who have seen such material, 49% cite Facebook as the source. And 39% say they first saw it on local news. 

Such material makes them think the COVID-19 vaccine isn't safe. 

Moreover, 20% of the Latinx respondents have had wrong or harmful information shared with them, with Facebook being the source for 53% and messaging apps for 44%.

This varies by language. Among those whose primary language spoken at home is English, Facebook is the most cited source of wrong or harmful information for 59%. 

Messaging apps are the primary source of misinformation for 66% of those who primarily speak Spanish at home.   

In addition, 49% of the Latinx respondents say COVID misinformation is a very serious problem, and 29% agree the issue is somewhat serious. 

advertisement

advertisement

But 51% fear the vaccine will not be safe, and that rises to 67% for those whose primary language at home is Spanish.

The impact of this: 27% say they will not take the vaccine, and 24% are not sure if they will. Among the latter, 72% know someone at home or in the community who is unwilling to take the vaccine because they believe it will be harmful to them.

In addition, 78% are under 50, 24% have a high-school education at most, 14% have a college degree and 46% either speak both English and Spanish, or only Spanish, at home. 

Change Research surveyed 1,896 voters, including 947 Latinx voters, from March 19-25.
2 comments about "Facebook Is Main Source Of Vaccine Misinformation For Latinx Consumers".
Check to receive email when comments are posted.
  1. Dane Claussen from Nonprofit Sector News, April 23, 2021 at 7:39 p.m.

    How about not running a stereotypical photo of a Latino young man in a tank top?
    Don't Latino men, say, own shirts?

  2. John Grono from GAP Research, April 23, 2021 at 8:51 p.m.

    Dane, I've got a suggestion.   How about we have a Latino young man in a tank top, another in a shirt, another in a t-shirt, another in a suit, another with a jacket on, another bare chested ... and so on, and so on ... so as to be 100% inclusive.

Next story loading loading..