“We Should Be at the Back of the Line”: A Frame Analysis of Old Age within the Distribution Order of the COVID Vaccine

Allen, Laura D; Odziemczyk, Idalina Z; Perek-Białas, Jolanta; Ayalon, Liat

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In the fall of 2020, it became clear that the initial doses of the COVID-19 vaccine would be limited, and a priority order would be necessary. This paper examines the perceptions of old age in the context of establishing a priority order for the COVID-19 vaccine from the perspective of online newspaper commenters. Two research questions are investigated: (1) how do commenters place older people in line for the COVID-19 vaccine? and (2) what frames and factors do commenters use as reasoning for their proposed position of older adults? RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: : This study involves a frame analysis of 440 online comments on an article published by The New York Times on December 1, 2020 about the U.S. recommendations for distributing the coronavirus vaccine. RESULTS: Older adults were referenced as belonging to one of three groups: older long-term care residents, older workers, and older adults retired and/or isolating at home. Two frames emerged from the data as criteria for prioritization: social contribution and vulnerability. Older commenters themselves frequently stated that they should be deprioritized so that others can be inoculated earlier. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: The findings may be interpreted as demonstrative of pervasive ageism throughout the pandemic; older commenters’ sacrificial remarks may reflect generativity, internalized ageism, social pressure from online forums, or some combination thereof.