Outsourcing Vaccine hesitancy in numbers


The majority of the world understands that vaccination is a necessary measure to not only protect individuals, but also curb the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus – yet statistics show much higher hesitancy in some countries than others. The US is a particular hotspot for anti-vaccine sentiment at the moment, with the situation termed by politicians and physicians as “a pandemic of the unvaccinated” – a view supported by CDC study findings that those who forgo the jab are 29 times more likely to be hospitalised with Covid-19. Courtesy of polling company Morning Consult, here are 15 countries ranked by their level of vaccine hesitancy:


Vaccinated


Russia US


Germany Australia Japan France Italy


Canada


South Korea UK


Brazil Spain Mexico India China


58% 85% 69% 88% 83% 78% 89% Source: Morning Consult (data is correct as of 18 October 2021)


both “extremely low” and “offset by the benefits of the vaccines”.


That last point is important. If the threat of Covid-19 was smaller than the risk of the vaccine, you could plausibly argue that getting the jab wasn’t worth it. As it is, this isn’t the case.


“Having established allergy investigation protocols would certainly increase vaccine acceptance, especially in people that experienced an allergic reaction to a Covid-19 vaccine.”


Viktorija Erdeljic Turk, University Hospital Centre Zagreb


If you contract the virus as an 85-year-old, you have a 15% chance of dying. Even for people in their 20s, the risk of death is around four in 1,000. Given how much more likely that is than getting anaphylaxis from the vaccine itself, Garvey suggests


32 22% 33% 65% 76% 62% 67%


81% 80% 82%


29% 20% 18% Plans to get vaccinated 21% Uncertain 17% 7% 10% 5% 7% Unwilling 29% 9%


4% 6% 4%


8% 5%


18% 11% 8% 7%


7% 5% 6%


4%


10% 7% 9% 7% 8%


5% 4% 4% 11% 16% 9%


that the “risk-benefit” calculation of getting jabbed should be straightforward. Nor, adds Garvey, is this balancing act unique to Pfizer, AstraZeneca and the other Covid-19 vaccines. All drugs, right down to everyday medications like paracetamol, have rare and potentially lethal side effects too. Clearly, none of this means that clinicians are abandoning people to their fate, crossing their fingers that their next patient isn’t that one-in-a- million anaphylaxis sufferer. On the contrary, numerous safeguards are embedded deep into the vaccination process. For one thing, people are typically asked to wait for around 15 minutes after getting a jab. Given most anaphylaxis reactions happen almost immediately after an injection, this tactic helps doctors spot sick patients. In a similar vein, workers in vaccination centres are normally trained in spotting the signs of anaphylaxis. More broadly, Turk and her colleagues are working to develop protocols that can confirm if someone is prone to anaphylaxis. It goes without saying, explains Turk, that “having established allergy investigation protocols would certainly increase vaccine acceptance, especially in people that experienced an allergic reaction to a Covid-19 vaccine.”


Inherent risks


Beyond tests to reassure hesitant punters, there are clearly many ways to boost confidence in the vaccine programme. One is to fully explain the statistics around risks and benefits. Given one 2013 survey in the US found that four in five people can’t understand statistical problems, better education might help – if only to banish the false idea that numbers like ‘four in 1,000’ mean that one in 250 youngsters who catch Covid-19 are definitely going to die. From there, Turk suggests that robust campaigns against misinformation are vital, especially if they’re spearheaded by doctors themselves. “Healthcare professionals should do their utmost to convince their patients of the benefits of vaccination,” she says, “and lead by example.” And, as Turk adds, though dedicated anti-vaxxers can likely never be convinced to get jabbed, research shows that a “significant proportion” of the undecided can be influenced in time.


Even so, this optimism will need to be tempered by an acceptance that all drugs carry an inherent risk, and that a few people will continue to pay a terrible price. Excipients are just too important for medications the world over, and scientists are doing everything they realistically can to keep patients safe. To put it another way, there will sadly be more cases like that of Tanya Smith in the months and years ahead. But look past these personal disasters, and it seems clear that vaccines will continue to lead the fight against Covid-19 – and prevent many more needless deaths. ●


World Pharmaceutical Frontiers / www.worldpharmaceuticals.net


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