Opinion piece |08 January 2021
To vaccinate or not to vaccinate?
That is the question that has fuelled many online debates among Seychellois since the pandemic ravaged the world and work to develop a vaccine to stop SARS-CoV-2 (or Covid-19) started.
There are two main schools of thought when it comes to vaccination. One group, backed by contemporary science, hails vaccines as being one of the major achievements of the 20th century, as it was able to put widespread and contagious diseases such as polio and measles at bay. Health and medical experts are steadfast on this ‒ arguing that vaccination and immunisation is the safest and most effective way to stave off vaccine-preventable diseases, and save lives. This is the group that will not hesitate to take the new Covid-19 vaccines.
But not everyone agrees. Anti-vaxxers, a vocal and skeptic group, distrusts vaccinations for multiple reasons such as lack of trust in the scientific community and global governments, and suspicions that vaccines may lead to adverse health issues later on.
In regards to the Covid-19 vaccine in particular, an undecided cluster of people has cropped up ‒ uncertain and caught between the pro and anti-vaccination groups ‒ some of whom have expressed their desire to wait until a longer track record of safety can be established with the new vaccine.
With the Ministry of Health on the cusp of rolling out the vaccine this weekend, with the Chinese-made Sinopharm being the first vaccine made available, Seychelles NATION sought out public opinion on taking the jab. What is the stance of the Seychellois public on the Covid-19 vaccine and are they up for inoculation?
Fabianne Bonne: “As an asthmatic, dying of Covid-19 is not a New Year’s resolution for 2021, so yeah I am taking the vaccine. Plus I have relatives with medical conditions that puts them in the high risk category; it would be irresponsible for me not to contribute to building herd immunity.”
S.L: “First I would like to know who made this vaccine and whether it was approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Based on what I have read no vaccines have yet to have received the WHO EUL/PQ authorisation. Out of all potential (emphasis on this word) vaccines, according to WHO press release, only the Pfizer one is being assessed. Furthermore, there seems to be only five vaccine candidates that are under the WHO’s radar for potential vaccines and of these only AstraZeneca has been studied and results published in peer reviewed literature. We have no idea where the ones the government of Seychelles is offering came from and whether they have been effectively tested and results published on these tests. I would take the Pfizer vaccine ONLY IF it is approved by the WHO and maybe Moderna and AstraZeneca if same.”
E. Morel: “I am not in favour of taking it.”
Gilly Jean, as admin of ‘In The Men’s Corner’: “So little is known about the vaccine being made available to us[...]distrust is automatic when there is so little transparency, I think we deserve more information before we decide to inject ourselves with these so called vaccines.”
A.P: “Nope, I am not taking it. At my age, God knows what this can do to my system. Covid-19 or not, we are all going to die anyways. Let it run its course.”
R.L: “I’ll be taking it for sure. This is not a joke or a conspiracy. It’s real and it’s hitting so close to home. If taking it means my parents and children will at least be somewhat protected, then I’m taking it.”
Sasha-Lee Marivel-Alis: “It’s all good to get a vaccine, we just want the ones that are more legit and effective. Pfizer has been a successful, well known, and established pharma company for decades ‒ I’d rather get their vaccine than from a Chinese company I’ve never heard of before.”
Philippa Samson: “I was ambivalent about the vaccine and have been reading up about it. So far no deaths recorded, so I feel more confident about it. While my risks of mortality are pretty low, my mum has hypertension and diabetes, which could lead to complications. So I think the choice is pretty clear.”
Wolfgang Germain: “I am completely against the vaccine, particularly the one being given right now. We know that it is not mandatory to take the vaccine, but keep in mind there are different, roundabout ways to make it mandatory. For instance, it might end up that we will not be able to travel without proof of vaccination or other restrictions that forces your hand to take something you do not want. And, is Africa being used as the testing ground? The Covid-19 vaccine is relatively new and my advice is for people to do more research, some more digging.”
R.T: “Knowing my health history, I am not sure if I should or should not take the vaccine. They need to educate people a bit more about this vaccine before giving it out. Now that lots of people are at home, it's a great time to start showing documentaries or sharing infos about the vaccine, side effects, who is eligible to take it, who is not etc. on TV and radio.”
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the interviewees and do not necessarily reflect the position and viewpoint of this newspaper.
Compiled by Elsie Pointe