Political parties are joining the free vaccine train, but are Indians interested in getting vaccinated against Covid-19? A poll by LocalCircles finds that up to 61% of respondents among the 25,000 respondents are skeptical.
Sixty-one percent of the 8,312 respondents said they are “skeptical about the Covid-19 vaccine and will not rush to take it in 2021, even if it is available.” Only 12% of those surveyed said to “get vaccinated and return to the pre-Covid lifestyle”, while 25% said they will “get vaccinated but still not return to the pre-Covid lifestyle”, and 10% said that “won I won’t take it at all in 2021”.
The survey was conducted to find out the tentative perception of people’s reaction when the Government brings the Covid-19 vaccine to its population. He also sought to know the current behavior of people facing the threats of Covid-19, and for how long they will continue to endure the suffering of the pandemic. The survey received more than 25,000 responses from more than 225 districts in India.
Given that most Indians are unsure about the vaccine, would we say then that the Anti-Vax movement was gaining momentum in India? Professor Anant Bhan, an expert in bioethics, says: “This indicates that there is a trust issue with regard to ongoing vaccine development and delivery plans, perhaps related to safety and efficacy, given the rush to develop vaccines. Vaccines. This concern may be heightened by the anti-vaccine movement and the (bad) information spread by them through social media platforms. “
Professor Peter Hotez, a renowned vaccinologist, says that the Anti-Vax movement could also accelerate in India. “I think we can all agree on the importance of promoting pro-vaccine messages in government and the private sector. But I also believe that we must go one step further. I am concerned about a dramatic expansion that we have seen in the anti-vaccine movement. vaccines in America, which is now expanding into an anti-science movement that spreads disinformation. It is also globalizing to include European capitals and could spread to India and elsewhere. For that reason, I think beyond just promoting pro messages. -vaccines must confront the main criminals who promote disinformation against science. Among them is the Russian government that floods social networks with messages against vaccines and what has been called in the scientific literature as “armed health communication” Unfortunately, neither the UN agencies nor the G7 or G20 governments have shown interest in taking action in this regard. “
A recent study published by The Lancet by the Center to Counter Digital Hate (CCDH) has criticized social media companies for allowing the anti-vaccine movement to remain on their platforms. The report’s authors noted that the social media accounts of so-called ‘anti-vaxers’ have increased their following by at least 7-8 million people since 2019.
“The decision to continue to host known misinformation content and actors left the ‘anti-vaxers’ online ready to seize the opportunity presented by the coronavirus,” the report stated. The CCDH warned that the growing movement against vaccines could undermine the launch of any future CovidD-19 vaccines.
The report noted that 31 million people follow anti-vaccine groups on Facebook, with 17 million people subscribing to similar accounts on YouTube. The Anti-Vax movement, says The Lancet, is on the rise in many countries.
The survey by LocalCircles also sought to know if people are interested in living with restrictions until the infections are gone. Up to 8,496 citizens participated, of which 38% said they were “willing to live the Covid-19 way of life for as long as necessary”, while 23% said they were “already tired of the restrictions”. While 14% of respondents said “until December 31, 2020” and “until March 31, 2021”, 6% said “until June 30, 2021”, 2% said “until September 30, 2021 “and 3% said” until December 31, 2021. “
Sixty-three percent of citizens feel that they can easily maintain the post-Covid way of life with restrictions until March 31, 2021.
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