Vaccines, polarising divides and the role of public health

Hopes, hesitancy and the risky business of vaccine development

“…The importance of trust in medical professionals in terms of provision of healthcare at various levels is, of course, well demonstrated by medical sociologists (Calnan & Rowe, 2008) and will undoubtedly be important in the provision of any successful COVID-19 vaccination. However, not all groups trust equally -for example, in the US context, black Americans, based on experiences of being failed by the medical system describe higher levels of mistrust than white Americans (Dew & Donovan, 2020). More generally, research shows that distrust in governments, the manufacturers of vaccines (and their desire to profit), as well as medical professionals and healthcare institutions are central in parental rejection of vaccination for their children (Attwell et al, 2017).…”

Moral intuitions and vaccine hesitancy during the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…Among people for whom sanctity is highly valued, having a public health system that appears truthful and transparent about the benefits and side effects of vaccinations, and does not appear to be beholden to commercial interests or specific political factions, may be important to build trust and encourage prosocial behavior (Badr et al. 2021; Dew and Donovan 2020; Dubé et al. 2015; Harambam and Aupers 2015; Larson 2018; Steel et al.…”

“…Among people for whom sanctity is highly valued, having a public health system that appears truthful and transparent about the benefits and side effects of vaccinations, and does not appear to be beholden to commercial interests or specific political factions, may be important to build trust and encourage prosocial behavior (Badr et al 2021;Dew and Donovan 2020;Dubé et al 2015;Harambam and Aupers 2015;Larson 2018;Steel et al 2006;Weingart et al 2000;Yasmin et al 2021). For this group, it also could be useful to contrast the potential short-and long-term bodily effects of being vaccinated with the shortand long-term bodily effects of contracting the disease itself (Mermin-Bunnell and Ahn 2022).…”

“…For this group, it also could be useful to contrast the potential short-and long-term bodily effects of being vaccinated with the shortand long-term bodily effects of contracting the disease itself (Mermin-Bunnell and Ahn 2022). Engaging in such open discussion and dialogue, including through social media, with those who have deeply held concerns may encourage them to calculate costs and benefits rather than react unthinkingly to personal feelings of disgust (Dew and Donovan 2020;Larson 2018;Olson et al 2020). In short, it is important to take people's moral concerns about the sanctity of the body seriously in public health messaging.…”

COVID-19 vaccination requirements for Ireland's healthcare students

“…When reflecting upon the difficulties of critiquing COVID-19 vaccination policies we would also flag entangled processes of ‘pharmaceutical governance’, that is ‘relations of power and domination’ within which the consumption of pharmaceuticals is embedded (Dew, 2019: 6). Internationally, ‘public health advocates’ have tended to be complacent about the demonisation of vaccine-related concerns, with some even throwing ‘fuel on the fire’ by seeking to restrict critical scholars’ ‘academic freedom’ (Dew and Donovan, 2020: 1). Furthermore, consider how publics were framed during the COVID-19 pandemic as ignorant and/or idiotic, alongside the need for health agencies to downplay their own uncertainty in order to project a sense of authority and expertise (Green et al, 2022).…”