Opinion | How coronavirus vaccine hesitancy stands between Asia and herd immunity

Reluctance to vaccinate bred by misinformation could be the decider in reaching sufficient levels of vaccination to overcome this disease

While fear and misinformation must be addressed, lack of vaccine supply also poses a formidable barrier for less-developed countries

Reading Time:4 minutes

Published: 8:30am, 5 Apr 2021Updated: 8:30am, 5 Apr 2021

Fear, frustration, despair and hope – the Covid-19 pandemic has been a roller coaster of emotions for people around the world. The race to vaccinate has been seen as the answer, yet it has become clear this race must also tackle an epidemic of misinformation and mistrust.

Just as the end seems close, new waves of the virus are crashing into homes across the world, from France to the Philippines. The equation is simple: the more people who are vaccinated, the less the virus can spread and mutate and the more lives are saved.

Overcoming vaccine hesitancy to reach critical mass is a delicate balancing act. We need to listen to people’s concerns and address them while making sure there is accurate information available. That way people are active participants in becoming vaccinated and can in turn influence their families and communities.

There is mounting evidence that misinformation about Covid-19 via social media or other online sites can reduce the likelihood people will choose to be vaccinated. A recent study from Imperial College London showed that when people were exposed to misinformation, there was a 6 per cent reduction in the number of people prepared to accept a vaccine, in both the US and the UK.

Ultimately, reluctance to vaccinate bred by misinformation could be the decider in reaching sufficient levels of vaccination to overcome this disease. It is truly a case of life and death.

Across Asia, there are positive signs that attitudes are shifting as vaccine roll-outs get under way, yet recent spikes in cases are bringing emotions to a volatile level. When most were expecting new cases to keep stabilising or going down, in many countries numbers have skyrocketed in a matter of days.

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