The year 2021 was ushered in under a veil of anarchy, courtesy of the unceremonious Capitol Hill riots in Washington DC, and has fittingly folded up under the same miasma of anarchy, with public health directives to combat the COVID-19 pandemic being met with a spate of violent clashes in the streets of major European cities.
The anarchy witnessed in such riots had one common denominator: it was sparked and abetted by irresponsible comments and behaviour by those who, frankly, should know better.
For instance, former US President Donald Trump, who is still under investigation for his role in the infamous Capitol Hill riots, peddled claims of electoral fraud during a rally in Washington DC on the same day as the riots, urging supporters to convene on the Capitol… within hours, his followers, especially those from extremist factions (like the Proud Boys) did just that and the consequences that followed are known to all.
The parallels between the rioting on Capitol Hill and the scepticism that public health directives are encountering could not be more striking. As aptly expounded by the US Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, the “urgent threat of health misinformation” is putting people’s lives at risk. In the US, the Surgeon General is held in high esteem as the ‘nation’s doctor’, dishing public health advice, especially during times of health emergencies.
One of the recommendations that the Surgeon Doctor has fielded concerns journalistic spheres: “Journalists and media organisations can make sure their teams are trained in recognising, debunking and avoiding amplification of misinformation by carefully reviewing materials that have not been peer reviewed.”
While this guideline is largely being adhered to by local media houses, standards are considerably sloppier on social media, with the administrators of some of the largest Facebook groups bartering rigour with sensationalism, giving a platform to dangerous non-scientific views on vaccines, such as those of a local singer and pastor who have caused a stir through their unfounded claims on the efficacy of and hidden agenda behind vaccines.
One of the greatest grievances that those opposing vaccination mandates have is the profits that companies like Pfizer are making out of vaccines. Without delving into the actual costs of rigorous scientific research, it would be worth highlighting the financial clout being wielded by a number of anti-vaccination lobbies.
Take chiropractors, for instance. This sector has exploited the COVID pandemic to the maximum to promote its ‘alternatives’ (vitamin supplements) to the COVID vaccine, written doctors’ notes to allow patients to get out of mask and immunisation mandates, donated large sums of money to anti-vaccine organisations and even sold anti-vaccine adverts on Facebook and Instagram.
Those opposing the administration of vaccines are a minority, a vociferous and feisty one, especially on social media. You would be forgiven for believing, after reading the deluge of social media rants, that the numbers of those opposing COVID vaccines are actually larger than they, in fact, are.
Those opposing vaccines are a minority, a vociferous and feisty one- Alan Deidun
This disparity underpins the dire need for health professionals to engage with the mainstream media and, more importantly, on social media to ensure that the voice of science and reason are not silenced by a cacophony of misguided half-truths and downright falsities. In the same way that social media posts peddling homophobia and hate speech are (or supposedly are) weeded regularly out on social media, so should those posts disseminating misinformation that has no scientific foundation.
One common myth doing the rounds on social media vis-à-vis COVID vaccination concerns jabs for children and has it that the World Health Organisation is not recommending the administration of COVID vaccines to children. Unsurprisingly, like most of the anti-vaxx drivel, this claim is seductive and easy to latch on to given that it preys on people’s fears. Quoting verbatim from the conclusions of the WHO’s interim statement on COVID-19 vaccination in children and adolescents (last updated on November 29, 2021):
“Countries should consider the individual and population benefits of immunising children and adolescents in their specific epidemiological and social context when developing their COVID-19 immunisation policies and programmes. As children and adolescents tend to have milder disease compared to adults, unless they are in a group at higher risk of severe COVID-19, it is less urgent to vaccinate them than older people, those with chronic health conditions and health workers.
“There are benefits of vaccinating children and adolescents that go beyond the direct health benefits. Vaccination that decreases COVID transmission in this age group may reduce transmission from children and adolescents to older adults and may help reduce the need for mitigation measures in schools. Minimising disruptions to education for children and maintenance of their overall well-being, health and safety are important considerations.”
This excerpt has been interpreted by sceptics of COVID vaccination in children as fodder for their own positions when, in fact, the WHO is still recognising the benefits of vaccinating children and recognising the hazards of long-term clinical symptoms of COVID in children, including a hyperinflammatory syndrome.
The WHO reiterated that the benefits of vaccination in children extend beyond the public health domain (in keeping the continuity of physical schooling) and that, before vaccinating children, countries should prioritise vaccination programmes within more vulnerable social groups and the donation of jabs to other countries through the COVAX mechanism.
Although the direct health benefit of vaccinating children and adolescents is lower compared with vaccinating older adults due to the lower incidence of severe COVID-19 and deaths in younger people, all benefit-risk assessments emphasise the importance of vaccinating all age groups, including children and adolescents, the communication adds. This should dispel yet another myth doing the rounds on social media: that you get vaccinated just to safeguard your own personal health.
In no way is the WHO maligning or undermining the importance of vaccinating children and adolescents, as a skewed interpretation of the same communication would have it. I invite you to read the communication in its entirety and make up your own mind about its thrust.