Immunization programs depend on high vaccination coverage to effectively lower the incidence and prevalence of specific infectious diseases. This study examines the relationship between public and media attention to vaccines and vaccination coverage during COVID-19 in China, drawing on behavioral agenda-setting theory and considering the influence of online health information on real-world health behaviors.
We collected daily data on COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in China from April 13, 2021, to September 19, 2022, and quantified public and media attention using the Baidu Search Index and Baidu Media Index over the same period. Time series analysis, logarithmic fitting, and Granger causality tests were conducted to analyze relationships and temporal dynamics among the datasets.
Public attention to vaccination spurred vaccination-related media coverage and contributed to increased vaccine uptake. Notably, the decay tail of the distribution function for vaccination doses was longer than for public and media attention, revealing a long-term “echo effect” of online information exposure on vaccination behavior. Granger causality test revealed that the media attention did not Granger cause the public attention, suggesting a reconfiguration of the classic agenda-setting dynamic between the public and media.
This study provides evidence-based insights into the temporal dynamics between health information acquisition and health behaviors, while also revealing a reverse agenda-setting relationship between media and public attention in the health domain.
