Letters | Hong Kong’s coronavirus vaccine sceptics need better official information, not celebrity endorsements
- Rather than rope in celebrities, the authorities should focus on clearing doubts and alleviating worries about the vaccines, and on strictly controlling the border
The authorities should face up squarely to what has gone wrong in the Covid-19 vaccination campaign, instead of beating around the bush. At the root of people’s indifference is distrust of the government, and not just during this health crisis.
Merely saying that there is no direct causal relationship between those deaths and the vaccinations does not convince the public that the two events are not related. Rather, this approach feeds public distrust of the vaccines and grows the belief that the government only cares about raising the vaccination rate.
The authorities should make public a comprehensive list of potential side effects and the medical conditions under which vaccination is not recommended, together with the pros and cons of each vaccine available, so that we can make a fully informed choice. Instead, they almost seem to be blaming Hongkongers for being uncooperative or even cowardly for not coming forward for the jabs.