Vaccination efforts against COVID-19 are underway. As pointed by the experts, it is the only way to stop Covid-19 pandemic. The success of the vaccine is thus imperative and as such demands trust to be developed. At the same time, curbing falsehood and rumours, essentially threatening the triumph over the pandemic, need to given focus.
The core element of trust in a scientific process can be achieved with confidence-building measures and full disclosure of all relevant data.
It is good that Bharat Biotech has formally informed, through its website, that its vaccine— Covaxin— was inadvisable in those having history of allergies, fever and bleeding disorders. Those on medication or blood thinners besides having compromised immunity have also been told not to take the vaccine. This is along with a recommendation that the vaccine is not to be given to the pregnant or the lactating.
Covishield too has given a similar set of restrictions to prospective recipients of the vaccine.
Humans are curious and innovative species and want to understand the world around them and stay up to date on the challenges they face and how to overcome them. The pandemic in the contemporary world, having anxious and fearful populace, took the deluge of misinformation to incredible levels.
There is a need for mass campaigns amid transparency. Misinformation could prove disastrous and there is no dearth of examples of it especially during Covid-19 pandemic. Hundreds of people died in Iran after consuming toxic methanol, mistakenly believing that it could cure them of the covid-19. The scale of misinformation during the pandemic has been such that it prompted the World Health Organization to coin the term “infodemic”.
While the need has been felt for enough people to get vaccinated against Covid in order to stop the pandemic, the vaccine hesitancy poses a serious problem, and factors attributing to it need to be addressed.
Building trust in people about the safety, effectiveness and importance of the vaccine is needed. The government needs to promote the fact that no major adverse effect has been reported so far in Jammu and Kashmir. With information set out by the two major approved manufacturers, expectedly there would not be adverse reactions in people not falling under restricted lot.
The authorities have started to crack down on those who spread rumors and misinformation about the vaccine. It needs to be augmented as misinformation has the potential to create public skepticism and ultimately undermine the fight against the pandemic.
