Persuading those Hesitant and Refusing to Take the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccine

We are almost at the end of the year and so far, the United Kingdom became the first Western Country to approve the Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech [1]. Most likely, other pharmaceutical companies Covid-19 vaccine is advancing and hopefully will all be ready by mid-2021 [2]. There seems to be hope and light at the end of the tunnel. However, the question remains, are people ready to take the Covid-19 vaccine once available? According to Time magazine, 40% of Americans mentioned they would not be taking the vaccine [3]. I wonder what the data for the rest of the world will be especially among the black communities. From the conversations I have had with some of my mates and others in Cameroon, most will be doing the “wait and see” game [3].

Vaccine hesitancy and refusal is not anything new. It has existed since the invention of vaccination. History has shown that people especially among black/African communities, have been used as guinea pigs in the past for experiments which unfortunately led to deaths. With such past history, most of the black/African communities do not trust healthcare providers and pharmaceutical companies at all. Those hesitant and refusing to take the Covid-19 vaccine feels the vaccine process was rushed and therefore, they have safety and potential side effects concerns. Normally, the vaccine process usually takes years when worked in order. That is, the vaccine process starts by getting a scientific breakthrough in the laboratory, enters into clinical trials, the regulators must approve the vaccine before it is given and then the production of the vaccines begins [1, 2]. Not exactly sure how many years this takes but it takes a while. The Covid-19 vaccine accelerated due to pharmaceutical companies combining phases. That is, some of the Covid-19 vaccine are now in phase 1/2 and 2/3 trial. It is important to stress out here that the rushed process is not due to people cutting corners as I have been hearing people say. However, the fast vaccine development is due to the urgency and the number of people who worked together on it.

Now how do we, as public health professionals persuade those hesitant and refusing to take the Covid-19 vaccine? We have all heard the saying “a true leader leads by an example.” Having all public health, presidential, community and religious leaders take the Covid-19 vaccine live for people to see is safe, is a good strategy. As reported in Times magazine, former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton mentioned they would be vaccinated on camera to build confidence [3]. This brings about reassurance for those who are not sure of the Covid-19 vaccine. After all, “action speaks louder than words.” Another strategy is holding a massive vaccination campaign in various countries. There needs to be transparency, interactive and respectful dialogues about these people’s concerns. Now, I am aware this is no walk in the park and persuading these people will not be easy. Especially when some healthcare workers are among those hesitant and refusing to take the Covid-19 vaccine.

References

1. Zimmer, C., Corum, J., & Wee, S. (2020). Coronavirus Vaccine Tracker. Retrieved 6 December 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/science/coronavirus-vaccine-tracker.html

2. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Vaccines. (2020). Retrieved 6 December 2020, from https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/coronavirus-disease-(covid-19)-vaccines?adgroupsurvey={adgroupsurvey}&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-aBhcy57QIVg8vVCh05WgQgEAAYASAAEgK-GPD_BwE

3. Elliott, P. (2020). Science Delivers the COVID-19 Vaccine. Too Bad Not Enough People Want It. Retrieved 6 December 2020, from https://time.com/5918040/coronavirus-vaccine-hesitancy/