Vaccine coverage reaches new highs
Media focuses on the speed of the rollout
Leading realtime media monitoring provider Streem reported that media interest in Australia’s vaccine rollout continues to grow, with May seeing a record number of news items on the topic.
There were more than 45,000 distinct metropolitan media items about the vaccination program in May across online, print, radio and TV, according to data from realtime media monitoring firm Streem.
This was up 3.3% from April, when Australia amended its vaccine rollout strategy in response to rare blood clotting linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Overall there have been more than 210,000 distinct metropolitan items on Australia’s vaccine rollout this year, once syndication has been removed.
The leading topic linked to vaccination coverage in 2021 has been the speed of the rollout, with the Streem data showing it was a key theme in 15% of coverage.
However, it was changes to eligibility criteria that was the number one vaccination topic in May, ahead of discussion linking the vaccine rollout to the reopening of Australia’s borders.
Other topics to experience a large rise in focus in May included ‘vaccine hesitancy’ and the associated risk of further outbreaks.
Lab leak theory gains traction in media coverage
Meanwhile, May has also seen a 12-month high in media reporting of the possibility that COVID-19 originated from a laboratory leak in Wuhan.
The theory had largely disappeared from news bulletins towards the end of last year, before a renewed surge.
There were 4300% more Australian media items on the issue in May compared to six months previously.
For more information, please contact:
Jack McLintock
Media Relations Manager
+61 450 608 022
About Streem
Streem delivers comprehensive and realtime Print, Online, TV, Radio and Social media monitoring, insights and reporting to Australia’s leading corporate and government organisations. Customers of Streem include Telstra, Qantas, IAG, the Commonwealth Bank and the Prime Minister’s Office.