In both the U.S. and Canada there is a hesitancy among a certain portion of the population about getting the COVID vaccine, despite the recent surge in vaccine supplies in recent weeks. The concern is often due to various forms of vaccine scepticism, sometimes attributed to peoples’ continuing distrust of government or mistrust of the health care system. In the U.S., this mistrust is particularly evident among African Americans, notably where the health care system has frequently let them down in the past. Among a significant number of white Republican supporters, including college-educated Republican women under age 49, much of the hesitancy can be attributed to the misinformation that flourishes on social media and the mixed messaging from Republican governors that leave people confused. A number of heavily Republican states are currently finding themselves with surpluses of vaccine doses, including Oklahoma, Ohio, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas and Alabama.
Part of the problem is that several of these states have eased their restrictions thereby sending a message opposite to a narrative that promotes the urgency of vaccinations. With the rise in cases involving so-called variants, such as the U.K. variant which is believed to be about 60 percent more contagious and 67 percent deadlier than the original version of the virus, the U.S. and Canada must take the matter of vaccine scepticism seriously. Both countries have seen a recent surge in outbreaks despite the arrival of vaccines. The hesitancy has national implications. As alluded to on several occasions, experts suggest that between 70 percent to 90 percent of all Americans and Canadians must be vaccinated for a country to reach herd immunity, the point at which the virus can no longer spread through the population.
Fortunately, the issue of vaccine hesitancy may be less of a concern in Canada. A survey of Canadians in March by the Angus Reid Institute noted that the number of respondents who said they would not get the vaccine at all remained relatively steady at about 12 percent. Since last fall, Canadians’ hesitancy about COVID-19 vaccine appears to have been dropping, with a good majority (over 80 percent) stating that they would get the vaccine as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for many Americans. For example, according to several recent surveys, nearly half of all Republican men and 40 percent of Republicans overall have said they do not plan to get vaccinated. This attitude is further reflected in their continuing hesitancy to wear facial masks and to socially distance, something the Trump administration encouraged at the pandemic’s outset.
Since it appears that there are people who mistrust politicians on the matter of COVID vaccination, some public health experts suggest that what’s needed are well-crafted messages delivered by doctors, religious leaders and other figures who are trusted in a particular community. Unless vaccine hesitancy is reduced significantly, there is a real danger of vaccines sitting on shelves somewhere, and possibly passing their best before dates. In the fight against the spread of the variants, neither the U.S. nor Canada can afford to have this happen!
FROLITICKS 