Anti-vaccination in the post-truth era: Who will we trust?

Abstract

Science denialism, or the decline/loss of trust in scientific knowledge, is related to losing the value of truth as a phenomenon, the post-truth era is a period in which truth is devalued and fluid. This study reveals the relationship between this concept, which permeates a wide range of areas from political discourses to daily life practices, and the pandemic, which is a global crisis. It also seeks to reveal how the pandemic reproduces hegemonic relations. This study addresses the relationship between the posttruth era and anti-vaccination and aims to understand how anti-vaccine individuals view COVID-19 vaccines. The study included in-depth interviews with five vaccine opponents. There were found to be recurring themes in the interview data. One of the core ideas of post-truth, science denialism, was used to investigate these issues. The hierarchy between classes, the prominent theme in the data collected from the opponents of vaccination, was analyzed with a critical perspective.