Correct COVID-19 Vaccine Misinformation: Lancet Commission on COVID-19 Vaccines & Therapeutics Task Force Members
2021
This brief “primer” assists healthcare providers in correcting a growing body of misinformation surrounding COVID-19 vaccines. In 2020, up to one-third or more of people surveyed both globally and in the U.S. indicated they might refuse the first COVID-19 vaccines when released through emergency use authorization (EUA). Their rationale included questions about vaccine efficacy, potential side effects, or speeding through regulatory approval processes. Even among healthcare workers, high rates of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy were noted.
Politicization of COVID-19 vaccines is another issue, or suspicions circulating in the African American community linked to structural racism and historical experiences with the biomedical community. Thus, while overall vaccine confidence may be increasing in some countries globally, the opposite might be happening regarding COVID-19 vaccination confidence.
Currently, organizations dedicated to anti-vaccine activities exploit COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy to fuel discord or discredit vaccine efficacy and safety. Ultimately, halting transmission may require at least 70-80% vaccine coverage.
This description was adapted from the publication abstract.
Source:
Hotez P, Batista C, Ergonul O et al. Correcting COVID-19 Vaccine Misinformation: Lancet Commission on COVID-19 Vaccines and Therapeutics Task Force Members. EClinicalMedicine 2021; 33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.100780