THE PERILS OF VACCINE HESITANCY BASED ON CONSPIRACY THEORIES AND MISINFORMATION: IMPLICATIONS AND WAY FORWARD FOR PAKISTAN


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Mubarak N., Khan A. M., Tariq S., Kanwal S., Tariq S.

Journal of University Medical and Dental College, cilt.12, sa.2, 2021 (Scopus) identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 12 Sayı: 2
  • Basım Tarihi: 2021
  • Doi Numarası: 10.37723/jumdc.v12i2.624
  • Dergi Adı: Journal of University Medical and Dental College
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Scopus, Academic Search Premier, Directory of Open Access Journals
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Asia, Conspiracy theories, COVID-19 pandemic, Misinformation, Pakistan, Social media, Vaccine hesitancy
  • İstanbul Medipol Üniversitesi Adresli: Hayır

Özet

BACKGROUND: Around the world, COVID-19 pandemic has exposed vulnerabilities of healthcare systems and whipped out years of progress on poverty alleviation. Nevertheless, the development of multiple COVID-19 vaccines in such a short span of time is truly a triumph of science. World Health Organization (WHO) grades vaccination as "one of the most cost-effective public health interventions to date"[1]. Vaccines work in two distinct ways i.e., directly protecting the one who receives and indirectly, as the vaccinated people could not infect others subsequently. In this way a vaccine reduces the number of hospital admissions and deaths. How swiftly would this combined effect appear at a population level is determined by the duration and the scale of vaccination efforts. To achieve a population level effect of COVID-19 vaccine in a country; different approaches to vaccinate masses are under huge discussion to decide the priority population i.e., who will receive the jab first. From a youth first approach as in Indonesia to textured approaches, as in Pakistan, that prioritize the vulnerable or exposed populations i.e., elderly and healthcare professionals respectively[2].