As UK prepares to roll out COVID-19 vaccines, scepticism remains

[snoop1130]

As UK prepares to roll out COVID-19 vaccines, scepticism remains

By Natalie Thomas

 

Vials labelled "COVID-19 Coronavirus-Vaccine" and a medical syringe are seen placed on the European Union map in this picture illustration taken December 2, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

 

LONDON (Reuters) - A sizeable minority of people believe conspiracy theories about the coronavirus and COVID-19 vaccines, some experts have warned, just as countries prepare to launch mass inoculations to get the pandemic under control.

 

Britain begins its vaccine programme this week and others are likely to follow soon, so governments are seeking to reassure people of vaccines' safety and efficacy in order to get a critical mass to take them.

 

In the United States, President-elect Joe Biden said he would have a coronavirus vaccine publicly to demonstrate its safety, and referred to people losing faith in the vaccine's ability to work.

 

"What we're finding is, in the wake of the pandemic, that conspiracy beliefs may have gone mainstream, that they're no longer confined to the fringes," Daniel Freeman, Professor of Clinical Psychology at Oxford University, told Reuters.

 

"Around a quarter (of Britain's population) are entertaining such thoughts. Another quarter are consistently thinking in terms of conspiracy beliefs, and around one in 10 people seem to have a very high rate of endorsement of conspiracy beliefs."

 

The World Health Organization estimates a 65-70% vaccine coverage rate as necessary to reach population immunity through vaccination, though the idea of herd immunity assumes a vaccine prevents transmission, not just the disease itself.

 

A survey in Britain last month showed that almost two-thirds of people would get vaccinated for the disease. But many have expressed unease at the speed at which companies have developed the drugs to tackle it, and about possible side effects.

 

Based on published vaccines trial data generated so far this year by Moderna, the BioNTech-Pfizer partnership and AstraZeneca, side effects have not been serious or long lasting.

 

Some also believe unfounded claims spread over the Internet, including that the pandemic was fabricated by governments to control people or that Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates wanted to use vaccines to insert trackable microchips into people.

 

At a recent protest in central London, hundreds of people shouted slogans against COVID-19 lockdown measures and vaccinations.

 

One demonstrator, Michelle, called the pandemic a "hoax". "It's a cover-up while they reset the whole economy," she shouted.

 

'IT MAKES YOU PARANOID'

 

Leila Hay, a university student in the northern English city of Hull, said she ended up believing some of what she read online about vaccines and the pandemic, even though she now says it has no basis in truth.

 

"I was looking at a lot of groups, and they were just there for anyone to go into, they were very public and had a lot of followers," the 19-year-old recalled.

 

Some of the theories she once espoused came via QAnon, a platform that has become a "big tent" conspiracy theory encompassing misinformation about topics ranging from alien landings to vaccine safety.

 

Followers of QAnon say a so-called Great Awakening is coming to bring salvation.

 

"It makes you really paranoid because you think everyone's against you, like the system's against you and the government's against you," said Hay.

 

"I was constantly preparing for the absolute worst scenario, like a new world order was going to happen."

 

Tom Phillips, editor at fact-checking charity Full Fact, said rumours and false information during pandemics have been around for centuries.

 

"What technology has done is it's enabled them to spread far more quickly and far more internationally in a way that is fairly unprecedented," he said.

 

"Rumour can begin in Italy one day and it can be across multiple continents a few days later, as we have seen happen several times."

 

Oxford University's Freeman said he had been surprised by how many people were entertaining unfounded ideas.

 

"I think conspiracy thinking can be pernicious. And, you know, it's a time we all need to come together and conspiracy beliefs typically divide."

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-12-07

 

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[Whale]

The UK press and all its lies/<deleted>/incitement and money making false journalism are probably as much a cause of this as social media. 

 

At least the silent majority won't be much affected yet more absolute tosh. 

[sammieuk1]

Simple refuse vaccine refuse NHS treatment end of story ???? 

[ourmanflint]

If you spread lies and conspiracy theories about vaccines you are a plonker, if you believe lies and conspiracy theories about vaccines, you are a plonker, if you die because you didn't take a vaccine when offered, you are, guess what? A plonker, a dead dead plonker

[billd766]

AFAIK anybody can choose to be vaccinated by the NHS or not. The UK does not insist on mandatory injections and I suspect that if any government did they would be out of office very quickly.

 

All parents were told that the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) should be given to all children but there were/are some parents who refuse to allow their children to be vaccinated.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MMR_vaccine

 

Religious concerns
Some brands of this vaccine use gelatine, derived from domestic pigs, as a stabilizer. This has caused reduced take-up, and consequent increased levels of disease, among communities with a high proportion of Muslims or Orthodox Jews.[69][70]

 

Edited December 8, 2020 by onthedarkside
quote of hidden post removed

[Nout]

3 hours ago, sammieuk1 said:

Simple refuse vaccine refuse NHS treatment end of story ???? 

illegal

[Natai Beach]

While most of the anti vaxxer stuff is complete nonsense, they have got a few valid points that made me slightly hesitant about taking a rushed vaccine. 

I am grateful to the British people for rushing it and offering to be the guinea pigs for this vaccine.
 

If you get through it alright the world can get back to normal again.

 

Thankyou and good luck. 

[473geo]

Well lets see now, we have those that insist on saying the lock downs are unnecessary, over kill, covid is no worse that flu. Would you believe the same people are now refusing the vaccine, that by their own words surely cannot be dangerous. Big mouths small minds!!!! 

[stuandjulie]

14 hours ago, billd766 said:

 AFAIK anybody can choose to be vaccinated by the NHS or not. The UK does not insist on mandatory injections and I suspect that if any government did they would be out of office very quickly.

 

All parents were told that the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) should be given to all children but there were/are some parents who refuse to allow their children to be vaccinated.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MMR_vaccine

 

Religious concerns
Some brands of this vaccine use gelatine, derived from domestic pigs, as a stabilizer. This has caused reduced take-up, and consequent increased levels of disease, among communities with a high proportion of Muslims or Orthodox Jews.[69][70]

 

And the consequence was a big upturn in MMRs, some life threatening and lifetime debilitating, all over a conspiracy theory. 

[fangless]

1 hour ago, billd766 said:

All parents were told that the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) should be given to all children but there were/are some parents who refuse to allow their children to be vaccinated.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MMR_vaccine

 

Religious concerns
Some brands of this vaccine use gelatine, derived from domestic pigs, as a stabilizer. This has caused reduced take-up, and consequent increased levels of disease, among communities with a high proportion of Muslims or Orthodox Jews.[69][70]

As you said only some versions of the MMR were objected to on religious grounds.  The rest were perfectly acceptable so all religions were able to take it.  You omitted to mention the now struck off doctor Andrew Wakefield who spread his now proven false rumours about the MMR the same way as the anti vaccine people are doing now.  In the UK Measles is now making a comeback because of Andrew Wakefield.

Edited December 7, 2020 by fangless

[473geo]

I have no problem with antivaxers, your freedom of choice, to accept any associated consequences

 

So lets have no moaning and whining when the vaccinated are on the way to Thailand at 30,000 feet and you are setting off to walk

[nobodysfriend]

Just let evolution take it's course ...

[soalbundy]

15 hours ago, Whale said:

The UK press and all its lies/<deleted>/incitement and money making false journalism are probably as much a cause of this as social media. 

 

At least the silent majority won't be much affected yet more absolute tosh. 

Never underestimate the ignorance of the general public

[puipuitom]

Happy the UK is a few months earlier then when I can get this vaccine. So time enough to see the results.  When even Rees-Mogg and Cummings become enthusiastic EU supporters, you know something is rotten... 

[onthedarkside]

A post with a linked document from a dubious private party source pertaining to the coronavirus has been removed along with a reply. Also an unsourced "I heard" post.

 

[joecoolfrog]

I have an anti vaxer effigy , I stick needles into it nightly.

You cant fix stupid , can simply wish that Darwin's law was even more selective.

[bkk6060]

Anti vaxers seem like wimps.  Scared of their own shadow conspiracy theorists everything is a lie.

 

The first UK person to get a jab was a brave 90 year old woman.  Amazing woman good for her.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 12/8/2020 at 3:28 AM, Natai Beach said:

While most of the anti vaxxer stuff is complete nonsense, they have got a few valid points that made me slightly hesitant about taking a rushed vaccine. 

I am grateful to the British people for rushing it and offering to be the guinea pigs for this vaccine.
 

If you get through it alright the world can get back to normal again.

 

Thankyou and good luck. 

That's just one vaccine. It won't prove other sorts are safe.

[Nout]

On 12/7/2020 at 10:16 PM, 473geo said:

I have no problem with antivaxers, your freedom of choice, to accept any associated consequences

 

So lets have no moaning and whining when the vaccinated are on the way to Thailand at 30,000 feet and you are setting off to walk

Anti vaxers put us all at risk. They are carriers and spreaders. The first anti MMR rumors I came across was in the 80s. In retrospect, my friends were heavily influenced by left wing anti establishment propaganda and SWP members. I believe the anti vax campaigners to be unknowingly influenced by enemies of our western democracies especially the old USSR/Purina, The CCP etc