Vaccine hesitancy

Fake news, conspiracy theories and unscientific warnings on COVD-19 vaccines have been flooding the internet even before scientists began working on finding a viable and potent remedy for the deadly coronavirus (“It is not clear if the quick distinctions made on the various COVID-19 vaccines do us any good,” May 2, Gulf Today).

Even more lethal warnings surfaced after protocols were fast-tracked and governments in many countries gave emergency approval for the rollout of the vaccines. Thousands fell prey and are still victims of such misguided propaganda, refusing to get the life saving jab.

It takes a couple of years before a vaccine is found safe and effective, but in the case of COVID-19, the same was thrown open to the general public in only  a couple of months. That has raised an eyebrow and given many a cause for worry. But medical science has progressed in leaps and bounds since the last pandemic. So why is it becoming so difficult to understand that with modern technology it is possible to rollout a stable and effective vaccine earlier than the pre-set time frame?

The fact that the fatalities are dropping in many European countries after the vaccination drives, indicates that the silver bullet is working. Anti-vaxxers are not a new breed. Way back in the 1800s, there were thousands who refused to be vaccinated when the smallpox vaccine was used in large numbers. Same was the case when the DTP vaccine was introduced in 1970 when it was linked to neurological disorders. There have also been a few deaths following adverse reactions of the current vaccines. And that is medically accepted. But overall the vaccines have cut down on the infections and medical experts have hailed the progress. I have taken the jab, what about you?

Byron Menezes
By email