ONLINE DISCOURSE ON VACCINATION: BEYOND THE TYPICAL DICHOTOMY
Abstract
10.18522/1995-0640-2026-2-44-52
All the fuss about vaccination following the COVID-19 pandemic has revived research into this problematic discourse, particularly on social media, where such discussions are typically reduced to a standoff between “anti-vaxxers” and “pro-vaxxers.” This obscures the complex nature of an issue that resides in a zone of legitimate controversy. Drawing on the concept of legitimate criticism, we identify its elements in online comments on news reports of measles and whooping cough outbreaks. This article analyzes user discussions in several Telegram channels based on criteria such as position, tone, rhetorical strategies, and the nature of user interaction. It is found that legitimate criticism stems from personal traumatic experiences and emphasizes the need for an individualized approach. The core of this criticism focuses on the quality of medical support during vaccination. This layer is complemented by institutional criticism. It is argued that criticism is legitimized by elements such as a focus on rational arguments, accessible empirical data, and the identification of visible systemic failures. It is emphasized that critical discourse is marginalized by the prevalence of polarization centered around aggressive rhetoric. Our research focus allows us to overcome the limitations of a dichotomous approach to analyze vaccination discourse by shifting the focus to examining systemic grievances. This approach appears promising for increasing civic trust in health crises.
Key words: online discourse, polarized discourse, crisis communication, media text, messenger, Telegram, critical media discourse
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Copyright (c) 2026 Olga I. Agnistikova
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