Antivax movement and epidemic spreading in the era of social networks: Nonmonotonic effects, bistability, and network segregation

Marcelo A. Pires, Andre L. Oestereich, Nuno Crokidakis, and Sílvio M. Duarte Queirós
Phys. Rev. E 104, 034302 – Published 8 September 2021

Abstract

In this work, we address a multicoupled dynamics on complex networks with tunable structural segregation. Specifically, we work on a networked epidemic spreading under a vaccination campaign with agents in favor and against the vaccine. Our results show that such coupled dynamics exhibits a myriad of phenomena such as nonequilibrium transitions accompanied by bistability. Besides we observe the emergence of an intermediate optimal segregation level where the community structure enhances negative opinions over vaccination but counterintuitively hinders—rather than favoring—the global disease spreading. Thus our results hint vaccination campaigns should avoid policies that end up segregating excessively antivaccine groups so that they effectively work as echo chambers in which individuals look to confirmation without jeopardizing the safety of the whole population.

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  • Received 26 January 2021
  • Revised 5 July 2021
  • Accepted 22 August 2021

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.104.034302

©2021 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Interdisciplinary PhysicsNetworksStatistical Physics & Thermodynamics

Authors & Affiliations

Marcelo A. Pires1,*, Andre L. Oestereich2,†, Nuno Crokidakis3,‡, and Sílvio M. Duarte Queirós1,4,5,§

  • 1Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas, Rio de Janeiro/RJ, Brazil
  • 2Unidade Central De Educao Faem Faculdade, Itapiranga/SC, Brazil
  • 3Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói/RJ, Brazil
  • 4National Institute of Science and Technology for Complex Systems, Rio de Janeiro/RJ, Brazil
  • 5i3N, Campus de Santiago, Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal

  • *piresma@cbpf.br
  • andreoestereich@uceff.edu.br
  • nuno@mail.if.uff.br
  • §sdqueiro@cbpf.br

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Vol. 104, Iss. 3 — September 2021

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