“Vaccinate or Terminate": A CDA of USA and Italian Online Petitions on Covid-19 Vaccines

In the contemporary crisis of representative democracy, the increased accessibility of the Internet has favoured novel forms of civic engagement. E-petition platforms like Change.org have empowered individuals to address decision-makers on various issues, utilising the web to gather endorsement. During the Covid-19 pandemic, vaccination campaigns polarised public opinion, with some advocating a widespread distribution of vaccines and others rejecting them for various reasons. The swift authorisation and implementation of vaccine mandates amplified fear and mistrust, skilfully exploited by spreaders of misinformation and conspiracy theories. Integrating Critical Discourse Analysis with Corpus Linguistics, this study examines a corpus of online petitions in favour and against Covid-19 vaccinations published on Change.org in the United States and Italy. In both countries, vaccination proponents emphasise the prioritisation of human health by protecting vulnerable groups and waiving vaccine patent rights. Opposers of vaccination present a range of motivations, including doubts about vaccine safety, concerns about individual rights, and arguments against mandates. They may also tap into a populist distrust of political elites and health authorities. Consequently, the petitions blend elements from different genres, encompassing political propaganda and popular science.