As India and Indonesia vaccinate millions against Covid-19, fake news and conspiracy theories are gaining ground
- India launched an awareness campaign including Bollywood resources to counter Covid-19 vaccination fears, as thousands fail to arrive for their jabs
- In Indonesia, rejection of vaccines has been linked to dislike of President Joko Widodo, who is under fire for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic
Attaining herd immunity through mass vaccination is crucial for the recovery of the devastated global economy. Governments are also racing to vaccinate their populations before the coronavirus mutates further – as has happened in Europe and elsewhere – which could potentially render current vaccines “ineffective”, say epidemiologists.
“The anti-vaccine movement could have a negative impact on the handling of Covid-19 where the targets [number of people] for vaccination are not achieved to the point where the pandemic cannot be brought under control,” warned epidemiologist Iwan Ariawan of the University of Indonesia (UI).
INDIA
“I’m in no hurry to get vaccinated, unlike my colleagues who are queuing up. First, I might have already been infected and developed antibodies by now. Second, I do not have much trust in a vaccine developed in three to six months while the prevailing vaccines for other diseases exist for decades or years,” said a paediatrician in Bangalore who wanted to remain anonymous.
India aims to vaccinate 300 million citizens by this summer.