The Instrumentalization of Science in Anti-Vaccine Groups on WhatsApp in Brazil.

This study investigates how anti-COVID-19 vaccine groups on WhatsApp in Brazil use, instrumentalize, and distort scientific articles and preprints to support their opposition to vaccination. Analyzing 39 scientific publications cited across six public WhatsApp groups, the research found that although most studies were neutral or favorable toward vaccines, group members selectively misrepresented their findings to reinforce anti-vaccine beliefs and conspiracy theories, such as claims linking vaccines to genetic alteration, autism, or population control. The groups frequently endorsed legitimate scientific journals alongside questionable or retracted studies, using science not to reject it outright but to legitimize pre-existing ideological positions. These findings highlight the complex role of scientific information in digital misinformation ecosystems and underscore the need for nuanced science communication strategies to address vaccine hesitancy and misinformation in Brazil.