Get the Jab: Government Multisemiotic Legitimation of COVID-19 Vaccines in Malaysia

Abstract

The present article studies how the government of Malaysia legitimises COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccination is a whole government endeavour but the Special Committee on COVID-19 Vaccine Supply (Jawatankuasa Khas Jaminan Akses Vaksin COVID-19 [JKJAV]) is the central government organisation that manages national-level vaccination. The management involves a discursive aspect and the discourse on social media sites should be explored because it frames beliefs and practices about vaccines. A qualitative analysis of legitimating strategies and their language and image features were conducted on Malay language posts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter from February 2021 to July 2021. The posts discursively legitimise COVID-19 vaccines in terms of their characteristics and benefits. The multisemiotic legitimation is achieved by mixing rationalisation, moralisation and authorisation. JKJAV proposes that vaccines are the best means of protection, encouraged by various sources. Cumulatively, the vaccine favourable discourse makes vaccination an exercise of personal choice by an individual. The agency is justified by rational, moral and authoritative reasons, to recreate social dynamics before the pandemic.