Can better communication decrease suspicion of the COVID-19 Vaccine?
Dr. Kingsley R. Chin MBA; Dr. Fabio J. Pencle MBA; Dr. Jason A. Seale MBA
This problem will not be easily remedied, and a multi-prong approach is needed.
The vaccine has the potential to save lives and help us get to herd immunity in which the spread of the virus can be contained. However, the vaccine itself has become a source of mistrust. The first concern was how rapidly the vaccine was developed. Second, the vaccine was developed by pharmaceutical industry giant companies, which could be interpreted as a benefit.
First, let us address communication and information as a root cause. There are several government regulatory bodies for public health; however, no one guideline is put forward in a pandemic.[1] To decrease confusion, misinformation and improve recovery, information should be validated and coordinated from one source. Most governments follow the World Health Organization [2], and therefore this should be the most trusted source. Information should be accessible and be able to be understood by the world’s population.
Second, should be marketing, in this case, the promotion of health information. There have been established guidelines that have been shown to decrease illnesses. For example, hand washing is a preventative measure for disease transmission. Washing hands with soap and water could reduce diarrheal disease-associated deaths by up to 50%. [3]
There is no mandate or law for hand washing, but the public generally accepts it. However, other safety measures are placed into law, which is for the protection of society. Everyday examples are wearing a seatbelt while driving. Several countries use the UN-ECE 14 and 16 regulations to enact their national safety protocols.[4] It is estimated that 50-60% of traffic deaths in the United States from teenagers to 44 years were not wearing a seatbelt. [5] It is shocking to know that a safety measure is so under-utilized. This, however, speaks to the fact that policies, legislation, and laws have to be put in place to protect individuals from themselves and protect others around them.
Several countries restricted international travel from regions with high infectivity rates, recommend masks to be worn in public. [6] Vaccination is also recommended but not yet mandated. At the pace of deaths, admission, and spread, do some countries need to mandate vaccination? What would be the public’s response?
With so much data in hand, Governments should have anticipated the mistrust of the vaccine among Black People and implement a targeted promotional and educational strategy to address this problem. In order for everyone to be safe Black or white, the vaccine will need to be administered among all groups. Black People will continue to wait and see unless the government show empathy and a dedicated strategy. Many health disparity problems face Black People, and the Covid-19 pandemic has unveiled many of them as Black People were getting sick and dying in the thousands. Many civic, economic, and social problems underpin these problems and must also be addressed along with Covid-19 vaccination and health reforms. Other ideas include having more black scientists visibly involved with creating vaccines and have Black People included in clinical trials. Specifically, for the Covid-19 vaccine, it would likely be effective to test pilot the vaccine in the black community and have recipients give testimonials and roll out the vaccines with a lot of education. The FDA must continue to educate and inform the public on safety and efficacy data. The media has a pivotal role in helping to inform the public and temper its instinct to sensationalize. For example, the J&J recall due to blood clots in women was sensationalized. Investigational journalism discovered that this was a rare occurrence, and the CDC restarted the vaccine. [7]
Black People need to see greater access to healthcare and more targeted educational programs. With former President Donald Trump now silent on social media about Covid-19, the new President Biden overseeing the Covid-19 vaccination has shown leadership in communicating more positively about vaccination as a key strategy to stop the spread of Covid-9. Education about the vaccine and side effects by the President and celebrities will potentially be a major positive to get more Black People choosing to be vaccinated. [8, 9]
We each decided to get the vaccine by choice based on analysis, modern medicine, scientific methodology, and personal reasons. Growing up we received vaccinations as children based on medical discoveries which have been shown to improve the longevity of survival. Other vaccines decrease developmental abnormalities attributed to diseases. As proponents for medicine and the use of modern technology, we advise each person to weigh the pros of vaccination which exceed the cons.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) must continue to educate the public and have its spoke persons address the myths and conspiracies as they emerge. [10, 11]
References
1. COVID-19, in CDC. 2021.
2. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Dieseases. 2021.
3. Information on Water-related Hygiene, in CDC. 2021.
4. contributors, W., Seat belt, in Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 2021.
5. How big is the problem of crash-related injuries and deaths to drivers and passengers? Transportation Safety 2018.
6. Mask Mandates by Nation: Most Still Await a Breath of Fresh Air, in Bloomberg News. 2021.
7. Weintraub, K. Blood clots and COVID-19 vaccines: How scientists are starting to unravel the rare side effect of the J&J and AstraZeneca vaccines. 2021; Available from: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2021/04/14/scientists-look-clues-bloodclotting-cause-j-j-and-astrazeneca-vaccines/7212193002/.
8. Simmons-Duffin, S. Need A COVID-19 Vaccine? Biden Admin Launches GETVAX Textline And Other Search Tools. 2021; Available from: https://www.npr.org/2021/04/30/992591012/need-a-covid-19-vaccine-biden-admin-launches-getvax-textline-and-other-search-to.
9. Richards, K. Presidents Obama, Bush, Clinton And Carter Promote COVID-19 Vaccine In New Ad. 2021; Available from: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/former-presidents-obama-bush-clinton-carter-covid-19-vaccine-ad_n_604a6124c5b60e0725f5c6d4.
10. Mullin, G. Utterly wrong: Idea covid vaccines affect fertility is nothing more than a ‘nasty, groundless scare story’, says jvt. 2021; Available from: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/14004986/idea-covid-vaccines-affected-fertility-nasty-scare-story-jvt/.
11. CDC. What You Need to Know About COVID-19 Vaccines. 2019; Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/about-covid19-vaccines.html.
This story first appeared in the August 31st issue of Doctorpreunernews Magazine. Click here to subscribe.
About Authors
Dr. Fabio J. Pencle is a medical doctorpreneur and Associate Professor. He holds a master’s in business administration.
Dr. Jason A. Seale is a medical doctorpreneur. He holds a master’s in business administration degree.
Dr. Kingsley R. Chin is a board-certified Professor of Orthopedic Spine Surgery and honors graduate of Harvard Medical School. See his LinkedIn bio.