Abstract: This study analyses the digital conversation on Covid-19 vaccines on Twitter during a critical period of the pandemic. It evaluates over 62,000 tweets and 258,000 retweets between December 2020 and February 2021. The research reveals a discursive shift from predominantly anti-vaccine rhetoric to pro-vaccine support following the initiation of the vaccination campaign. Anti-vaccine communities are found to be highly cohesive but limited in their capacity to disseminate content beyond echo chambers. These groups predominantly rely on alternative media and social networks for their narratives, sidelining institutional and legacy media. The study also explores the influence of disinformation, identifying the use of conspiracy-based hashtags and discrediting strategies. Results support the hypothesis that quality information and reliable media are key to countering disinformation. Moreover, Twitter’s moderation efforts appear limited, with minimal evidence of content suppression. This research highlights the need for tailored anti-disinformation policies for digital platforms and reinforces the role of journalism in maintaining public trust. The findings contribute to discussions on digital public spheres, algorithmic polarisation, and health communication in hybrid media ecosystems.
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