Information about it is everywhere which is overwhelming. Right now we are focused entirely on Covid-19 and getting rid of it in a way that we have not been on other illnesses. We have never faced a global pandemic in the age of social media. When false information about vaccinations like the MMR comes around, as it inevitably does, people in New Zealand show a strong resilience to it. Hesitation doesn’t make declining a vaccination inevitable and in fact very few people do actively decline childhood vaccinations for example (3-5 percent). There are always risks and benefits to weigh up, whether personally, for our families, or our wider community. Hesitation about any health intervention is normal. We have done well in New Zealand with vaccinations more generally. Understanding the importance of vaccination to managing Covid-19 and how it works is key to opting to get one. The information environment is a challenge to a compassionate and pragmatic vaccination strategyĪlongside easy access to vaccinations is a supportive information environment. It is also partly why our HPV vaccination rates are lower than we need to get rid of cervical cancer entirely in the next generation – because only some schools currently offer the vaccine as standard. It's how we improved our childhood vaccination rates in the 1990s and 2000s, by actually reaching out and going into those communities who experienced barriers to getting their children vaccinated. It's why seasonal flu shots get offered all over the show: workplaces, pharmacies, GPs, etc. The easier and more straightforward it is for people to get vaccinated, the more likely they are to get one. The critical importance of access shouldn't be overlooked in all our discussion and concern about vaccination. There are many approaches to ensure people are both inclined towards vaccination and can actually get vaccinated. What then do we need to ensure that most people will take the option to get vaccinated? This will be manageable.”Ĭompassion and pragmatism have been at the heart of our Covid-19 responseĪ strategy in which we put all our efforts into vaccinating as many people as possible is in line with how we have approached Covid-19 in New Zealand to date - with care and concern for our most vulnerable community members and with a clear eye on what people working within our healthcare systems can actually manage. Then, when we do open the borders and the disease comes into New Zealand, we will see predominantly mild and asymptomatic disease. “I recommend we put all our efforts into vaccinating everyone we possibly can, particularly more vulnerable individuals and communities. So it is better for our healthcare workers and others who need the healthcare system. Higher vaccination rates also give us the best opportunity to manage any cases we do get without people in the medical system becoming overwhelmed. What do you think? Click here to comment.ĭr Nikki Turner, the head of the Immunisation Advisory Centre, points out that if we aim for high vaccination rates we will do better for those who are more vulnerable to the impacts of Covid-19 - it is an approach that takes care of those who need it most. Vaccination, like managing Covid-19 more generally, can be approached in different ways, depending on what matters most to us in New Zealand (and to some extent, who matters most). Vaccinating most people against Covid-19 is a significant stepping stone in managing the virus and its huge social, health and economic impacts. We need to be one step ahead, writes Jess Berentson-Shaw. When the credibility of good information is undermined, we can't just rely on strategies we believe should work. Comment Jess Berentson-Shaw: Inoculating against vaccine misinformation
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