Researchers: It is important to take the Covid-19 vaccine seriously

The vaccine is useless if it is not used. The patterns found in Sweden, that populations in socioeconomically vulnerable areas have a lower vaccination rate, are also found in other countries.

We note that the reluctance to get vaccinated is not primarily about the information provided, but whether people in their places can trust those providing the information, says Quinn Peters, professor of sociology at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp.

Peters reminds her He calls marginalized groups – those who do not trust the government or who have had bad experiences with the state. His team is part of a project that is researching with researchers in Leuven, London and Paris on vaccine resistance and the Covid-19 virus.

For most people, it’s not about a yes or no to a vaccine. Instead, the situation varies depending on whether there is new knowledge about side effects or information you need for the vaccination so you can travel, he says.

Heidi Larson, Professor At the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the founder of the Vaccine Confidence Project stresses that the information provided should answer relevant questions people ask.

“You build trust by responding in a way that makes sense based on the way people live their daily lives,” she wrote in an essay. Media Network Project Syndicate.

She stressed that governments and authorities should be quick to report their actions: “Every day of delay or hesitation in vaccine communications becomes a breeding ground for anxiety and disinformation – and much of this is done online.”

Heidi Larson also stresses that people should be able to ask questions about COVID-19 without being treated with contempt.

Queen Peters is inside on the same path.

There is a real concern that must be taken seriously. How could the vaccine have evolved so quickly? Does it affect fertility? What do we know about side effects? You have to have a dialogue that allows the anxiety to be overcome, he says and states that this anxiety also exists among employees in the health care system.

According to him, it is difficult to know how widespread the COVID-19 vaccination week will be in different groups. On the one hand, it has been difficult to vaccinate at all for a long time, and on the other hand, measurements are usually made on the Internet. Then there is the problem of getting a representative sample.

For those who do not feel involved in the community, it can be difficult to be convinced that you are receiving the vaccination for the good of all. If you’re also young and not very sick with coronavirus, it can be hard to convince you, too, says Quinn Peters.

to vaccinate more people It’s about building trust and having a good dialogue with groups in weak areas, Peters reasons. Dialogue is not fast and difficult in the midst of a pandemic.

– There are now many such projects, but the effects will not appear immediately but in the long term, he believes.

Nowadays, it is more about how individuals think about their own self-interest in relation to risk.

Take, for example, the app in Denmark that shows you have been tested to be able to go to a restaurant. Or a vaccination permit to travel. This is causing some to change about vaccines, Quinn says.

He adds that the group of strong anti-vaccine opponents, which is still small, has little to do.

Doctors and nurses are some of the most trusted people in society.

Heidi Larson points it out How important is health care?

“Doctors and nurses are some of the most trusted people in society, so it is important that they have time to listen to their patients’ wonders. But staff must have access to the latest information so they can connect with patients and boost their confidence in a vaccine against COVID-19. ‘, she wrote.

Quinn Peters fears that the pandemic itself has caused unrest in the community that is making more people reluctant to get vaccinated.

In normal cases, there are many who are not entirely convinced that vaccination is good, but since the rate of vaccination is very high, most people do it anyway. Now, when there is anxiety and uncertainty about Covid, more and more people are hesitating. He says it will be difficult to deal with.

Read more: Vaccine teams visit activities of people at social risk