Media discourse regarding COVID-19 vaccinations for children aged 5 to 11 in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States of America: a comparative analysis using the Narrative Policy Framework.

BACKGROUND: Media narratives can shape public opinion and action, influencing people's perceptions and action regarding uptake of paediatric COVID-19 vaccines. COVID-19 has occurred at a time where 'infodemics', 'misinformation', and 'disinformation' are present, and as a result the COVID-19 response has suffered. OBJECTIVE: To investigate how narratives about paediatric COVID-19 vaccines have unfolded in the media of four English-speaking countries; USA, Australia, Canada and the UK. METHODS: The Narrative Policy Framework (NPF) was used to guide the comparative analyses of the major print and online news agencies' media regarding COVID-19 vaccines for the 5 to 11 year old age group. Data were sought using systematic searching on Factiva of four key phases of the paediatric vaccine approval and roll-out. RESULTS: 400 articles (287 for USA, 40 for Australia, 60 for Canada, and 13 for the United Kingdom) fit the search criteria and were included. Using the NPF, the following were identified in each of the articles: hero, villain, victim, plot. The USA was the earliest to vaccinate children, and other countries' media often lauded the USA for this. Australian and Canadian media narratives about 5-11 year old vaccines were commonly about protecting vulnerable people in society, whereas the USA and the UK narratives focused more on the vaccine helping children get back to school. All four countries focused on the 5-11 year old vaccine as being key to 'ending' the pandemic. Australian and Canadian narratives frequently compared vaccine roll-outs across states/provinces, and bemoaned local progress in vaccine delivery in comparison to other countries globally. Canadian and USA narratives highlighted the 'infodemic' about COVID-19 and disinformation regarding child vaccines as impeding uptake. All four of USA, Australia, UK, and Canada used war imagery in reporting about COVID-19 vaccines for children. The advent of the Omicron variant demonstrated that populations were fatigued by COVID-19 and the media reporting increasingly blamed those who were not vaccinated. The UK media narrative was unique in that it frequently described vaccinating children as a distraction from adult COVID-19 vaccination efforts. The USA and Canada had narratives expressing anger about potential vaccine passports for children. In Australia, general practitioners (GPs) were enveloped in the language of heroism. And lastly, the Canadian narrative was unique in expressing the desire to forgo adult COVID-19 vaccine 'boosters', as well as paediatric COVID-19 vaccines in order to ensure other adults globally could receive their initial vaccines. CONCLUSIONS: Public health emergencies require clear, compelling and above all, accurate communication. The stories told in this pandemic are compelling because they contain the classic elements of a narrative, however they can be reductive and inaccurate.