Media Coverage of Health Information and Attitudes Towards HPV Vaccination

This paper presented in this ZEW Research Seminar examines how media coverage of the HPV vaccine affects attitudes towards HPV vaccine among adults in France. The authors use data from six waves of the French Health Barometer survey, collected between 2010 and 2020, and information on coverage of the HPV vaccine on all TV and radio stations in France. The authors find that exposure to recent media coverage has a negative impact on attitudes towards the HPV vaccine among mothers. The paper shows that these negative effects are driven by the debate around vaccine safety and alleged side effects that arose following lawsuits brought against the vaccine manufacturer in 2013. Recent media coverage of the HPV vaccine also negatively affects attitudes towards other vaccines recommended for children. While these effects seem to disappear within a week, the authors find suggestive evidence that intense exposure to media coverage has longer-lasting effects on attitudes.