Combating vaccine hesitancy

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VACCINES HOLD the promise of delivering us from the jaws of a deadly microscopic giant called the coronavirus, which has unleashed on humanity its deadly venom with clinical precision. Along with the adherence to established protocols – mask wearing, physical distancing and regular hand washing/sanitising – vaccinating the majority of the citizenry is the only way in which life can return to some semblance of normalcy.

Undoubtedly, one of the biggest casualties of the covid19 pandemic is the denial of the rights of children to quality education. The closure of schools and a concomitant switch to virtual learning served to deprive many children of valuable education opportunities, exacerbating social and economic inequalities with long-term implications.

As we strive to achieve herd immunity, it is unfortunate that there are many people who ignore and castigate scientific guidance, opting instead to embrace untruths and unsubstantiated opinion as their armoury to discredit the vaccination effort. It is a continuation of the contempt that social media has introduced into the global discourse, wherein many people foolishly believe that if lies and untruths are repeated often enough they become fact. In this world of unregulated and absolute free speech, fundamental human rights and civic responsibilities are relegated to infamy, even while confronting a pandemic.

Driven by contemptuous political agendas, aspersions and doubts are showered over trusted institutions that were laboriously nurtured and meant to serve the public good. Personal political agendas and unfounded fears take precedence over established scientific principles and procedures that form the basis of the advancement of humanity.

In this warped social and political dialogue are our children, looking, imbibing and emulating thinking patterns and behaviours that are devoid of personal responsibility for the preservation of life. These narratives are shamelessly bereft of higher-order cognitive skills of analysis and evaluation which their conspirators and subscribers are compelled to prevail upon others.

Vaccine hesitancy is the outcome of the staggering power of ignorance; the ability of weak men with national microphones to sow distrust in medicine and denial of science. It is a scenario that must serve to redefine our role as educators, wherein ignorance has assumed a new density and power. While truth demands time to gain traction, lies can zoom by cheering crowds. Teachers now have an additional moral and social responsibility to exert informed influence, formally and informally, in logical and constructive ways to dispel such ignorance that pockets of society insist on pedalling.

Democratic societies are founded upon the creation and maintenance of trusted institutions that function for the public good. Whenever the integrity or intent of these institutions are questioned, by bigoted motives, the public good is thus threatened. Educators, among their many roles and in their quest to promote and maintain democracy, must position themselves as barriers to the perpetuation and propagation of misinformation that preys on individuals’ fears and insecurities.

The justifications for vaccine hesitancy, though devoid of logic, easily resonates with uninformed minds negating the requirement for analysis owing to its predication on biases, prejudices and innate phobias. Its objective is to plant seeds of doubt which become barricades to logic and reasoning (thought processes that require effort), scarce commodities in an instant society. Combating an incessant avalanche of misinformation and ignorance requires a united resolute effort from all teachers and responsible citizens.

Indeed, as David Edwards, Education International’s (EI) general secretary, notes, “We can write the final chapters of the novel coronavirus by committing ourselves to be global ‘super-spreaders’ of both the vaccine and the truth.” He continues, “Teachers and education workers can be found in every community in the world. Most surveys of societal trust in professions place teachers at or near the top. There is an immense potential for leveraging the highly influential professions that teach science and enjoy trust to dispel myths and show vaccines work.”

Vaccination of teachers and support personnel is critical to the safe and permanent return to onsite education. Our children’s education and well-being have already paid a heavy price for this pandemic. Further precious time cannot be wasted on misinformed notions of vaccine hesitancy. Teachers must be exalted to use all possible avenues to spread the truth: science that is based on established principles of rigour, scrutiny and accountability.

In a world where oxymorons, such as “alternative facts,” are used as a basis for irrationality, and the relegation of science through conspiracy theories using the global classroom of social and some mainstream media, teachers must endeavour to ensure that fact and truth will always prevail.

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"Combating vaccine hesitancy"

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