An effective COVID-19 vaccine could help us emerge from isolation and end the social distancing required during this pandemic; but it will only work if people are willing to be vaccinated.While an average of 86% of the respondents had increased the number of times they washed their hands in April and May 2020, an average of 21% said that they would not get vaccinated. These figures were highest in Sweden (31%) and South Africa (30.6%), but were not much better in the United States (28%) and Italy (23%). Unfortunately, many of these levels barely reach the cusp of vaccine coverage needed to achieve population-wide herd immunity against COVID-19.
Interestingly, our survey showed that respondents who said they would get vaccinated had more education than those who said they would not get vaccinated. These results were highest in the U.S. and Sweden. This may mean that people with more education have more information, but this correlation will need to be further explored before it can be explained.
The U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health and Director of the National Vaccine Programme in the Department of Health and Human Services, Dr. Bruce Gellin, has said that the foundation that underpins vaccination acceptance is trust. Our survey explored respondents’ trust of both their national government and the medical profession. With the exception of China, India, and Indonesia, most respondents had relatively low levels of trust in their national government, but most of the respondents said they trusted the medical profession. Trust in both entities, but especially in the medical profession, was generally higher among those who said they would get vaccinated. These findings emphasise the importance of having medical professionals lead messaging about vaccine safety, effectiveness, and benefits.
We suggest that healthcare professionals partner their national governments and international healthcare experts, such as the World Health Organisation, to create consistent, accurate messages about the benefits of vaccination for COVID-19. These messages should use simple language that people with no more than an elementary education can understand; acknowledge people’s fears about vaccine side effects and cite accurate, verifiable data on side effect risks; and state whatever data is available on vaccine effectiveness. This will ensure that the greatest number of people will get vaccinated as soon as a vaccine is ready leading to a potential end to the current COVID-19 pandemic.
source: MedicalWorldNigeria
