Anti-vax in COVID times
In the world of today, the anti-vax movement has been a controversial display of what a misplaced sense of rights and conspiracy theories can create. At the best of times, the movement has been adamant on their stance even in the face of repeated warnings by health experts and officials. Now, we are in the middle of a pandemic and the stakes are even higher.
Conspiracy theories regarding potential COVID-19 vaccines have been doing the rounds for months now. Everyone from Dr Fauci to Bill Gates has been framed as ring leaders of a global conspiracy with a variety of nefarious goals. Even famous people are guilty of peddling vaccine misinformation in these times with the recent example of Madonna having one of her Instagram posts removed for forwarding the theory that the COVID-19 vaccine has already been developed but is being hidden to make the rich even richer. Needless to say, she isn't the only celebrity caught in such acts that blatantly go against the public interest.
At this stage, it is unfortunate to consider that our global fight against this deadly pandemic is being hampered by those who cling to their freedom to spread misinformation and follow bogus medical theories. There is full expectation that this will only intensify when the vaccines are rolled out for public use. For now, there are already indications of the difficulties world government's will face in tackling such a scenario.
Recently, the Australian Government announced that it will make the new Oxford vaccine that is under trial free for all its citizens when it is finally released. Furthermore, Australian PM Scott Morrison also announced that his aim was to make 95 per cent of the population get the vaccine and that he was "expecting" the vaccine to be mandatory unless prohibited by specific medical conditions. But, not too long after, he was forced to modify his statement and said that the vaccine use would be "encouraged" and not mandatory. He was quoted as saying: "We can't hold someone down and make them take it". A noble sentiment no doubt and one befitting that of a democratic leader but it is nevertheless a troubling sign. Many surveys have been carried out by various organisations to ascertain just how willing the general population would be to take the vaccine when it is available. A survey carried out in the UK by King's College London and Ipsos Mori found that only 53 per cent of those surveyed would willingly take the vaccine. The survey connected the same group to those most likely to not wear masks and those who gained their pandemic information from social media. Interestingly while 22 per cent of those in the age groups of 16-24 and 25-34 said they're unlikely to accept the vaccine, the number was only 11 per cent for the age group of 55-75. In America, surveys carried out by organisations such as the Pew Research Centre show that 72 per cent of those surveyed were willing to take the vaccine when it is available.
The set of figures is indicative but still troubling. Presently, there is no clear scientific answer as to how much of a country's population needs to be vaccinated to slow the spread of the contagion and eventually eliminate it. Figures range from as low as 20 per cent to 80 per cent with the figure of 95 per cent given by the Australian PM being more of a safer-side approach.
Much of the perceived rejection of the virus relates to the general mistrust of big pharma in the western world. There are many who suspect that big pharma is hand-in-glove with the world governments in creating an atmosphere of desperation where they may profit from the pandemic. Anti-vax groups have also raised the concern that fast-tracking vaccine development is coming at the cost of safety and reliability which given the controversy regarding the Russian Sputnik V vaccine may not be entirely unjustified.
But what exactly is the solution? Mandatory vaccination is a solution that has been suggested by many medical bodies. It is possible that private companies may indeed make the vaccination one of the conditions of employment given the risks to company functioning that are involved. While governments are bound by certain factors to mandate vaccination, private companies have no such restraints and indeed the economic downturn will give them significant leverage to force vaccine usage. Ultimately, it falls on the authorities to continue their efforts to combat misinformation and conspiracy on all fronts. While there are many who will not change their stance regardless given the general lack of trust of official authority in such conspiracy circles, there is a fair chance that the devastation of the pandemic may persuade many to reconsider. Forcing vaccinations on a national scale may turn out to be a slippery political slope but also one that world governments may have to navigate to beat the pandemic.
