With the new decree regarding the wearing of masks put into place, that means not wearing a mask could have one facing a fine and/or jailtime, there seems to be little room in South Africa for the mask scepticism that took hold across the Atlantic in the United States of America. However, the covid-19 vaccine scepticism is another story entirely, as it seems to be a topic of debate and contention- should we be nervous about the vaccine? Perhaps. But should we be downright opposed to it as many citizens seem to be? Exactly how dangerous is vaccine scepticism in general, and more specifically in South Africa's ongoing battle with the pandemic?
Opposition to vaccination, or as it is now called, being 'anti-vaxx' has been around for hundreds of years, even before vaccines really existed. The "new wave" of the anti-vaccine movement appears to have begun with the publishing of an article in the Lancet by Andrew Wakefield. Those who were mere sceptics, highly suggestible and perhaps a touch paranoid, were emboldened by such official and indisputably scientific support of their positions, and thanks to social media, could spread their message and grow as a lobbying force, and grow they did, amassing Facebook groups and popular social media accounts, one such group having over 200 000 members at one point. Some A list celebrities with large followings declared themselves to be anti-vaxx. Just one problem- the article was quickly debunked, the article's author became a pariah in the medical community and was struck off the register, and many articles and studies have been published since in response, and they repeatedly disprove the claims made by Wakefield and the movement he helped legitimize. But, unfortunately, the damage was already done. Measles, which had previously been eradicated in a number of countries, and had been close to eradicated in others, has made a nasty global resurgence, thanks in large part to the promulgation of anti-vaccination misinformation. Coincidentally, Wakefield has once again resurfaced to make false claims against the Pfizer and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines.
Medical scepticism in general has been costly in terms of human life here in South Africa, where we must deal simultaneously with another ongoing pandemic- the HIV/AIDS pandemic. On this front, it would be remiss of me not to discuss President Thabo Mbeki's remarks and policy positions on the Aids crisis; during his presidency his government withheld critical medications for HIV sufferers, he consulted with HIV/Aids denialists on public policy, publicly denied there was a link between HIV and Aids, and gave platforms to other HIV/Aids denialists. Many within the medical community criticised him for having aided in the popularization of HIV/Aids denialism in the country.
Combine the influence of the pre-existing anti-vaxx movement, whose existence online means it is only one click away for any member of the general public, the medical scepticism borne of Thabo Mbeki's presidency, and the overall anxious state that many South Africans find themselves in as we continue into the economically taxing lockdown, and we have grounds fertile for an anti covid-19 vaccine movement- anti-Covaxxers, if you will. The combination of fear and misinformation can be a dangerous motivator. The best move forward is just as President Cyril Ramaphosa stated in his address to the nation on January 11, “do[ing] everything possible to ensure that the process is transparent and that all information is available”. In that same address, Ramaphosa laid out the path forward for vaccine procurement, assuring South Africans that government was working assiduously to ensure enough vaccines would be obtained for the goal of reaching population immunity.
However, somewhat discouraging is the less than impressive feedback from others within government working on the issue- when the Deputy Director General for Department of health Anban Pillay was interviewed by ENCA journalist Shahan Ramkissoon, he became defensive, and even openly hostile to Ramkissoon, who asked pointed but straightforward questions, questions that were relevant to the lives of many South Africans, and that someone in his position should be able to answer. It could perhaps be chalked up to being a poor showing by one official. But, is it a hint at what is happening inside the Covid-19 response units in government on which we now rely for the vaccine? Either way, it only heightens vaccine anxiety.
Given that we, along with the United Kingdom, are in the unique position of facing a newer, more contagious strain of the coronavirus, we cannot afford any more misinformation regarding vaccines to be circulated. The fact is these vaccines are new, research into them and their effects are just beginning, but those who should be trusted regarding information on vaccines are the international organisations and local medical community as well as medical experts. Treat all information received from additional sources, especially those online, with a grain of salt. Vaccination will be an important tool in ending the pandemic, and so vaccine scepticism must be treated as the serious danger that it is.
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