In a letter to this newspaper on June 2nd Mr Kit Nascimento lamented the fact that Mr Mondale Smith, a professional journalist, who had not been vaccinated against Covid-19 had died of the virus. He went on to write that there were hundreds, if not thousands who could be vaccinated but had not been either out of choice or carelessness. He expressed the hope that those who had not received their inoculation and who read his letter would learn from what had happened to Mr Smith, and understand that they had made the choice “to not only put their own lives at risk but the lives of the rest of the nation …”
As Mr Nascimento rightly indicates, those who are not vaccinated will represent a threat to the health of others and not just themselves, and it is worth repeating that if there are enough of them there would be no hope of defeating the virus. He might not, however, be quite correct in assuming that the failure lies only with individuals in all instances.
The flooding will constitute an obstacle in some places, and Minister of Health Frank Anthony was reported last week as referring to the challenges being experienced in Region Eight in this regard. The mountainous nature of the region made it difficult to reach some communities even in normal times, he said, and the situation had now been compounded by the rains.
Last month too the Chairman of the South Rupununi District Council said that although many residents were coming to the hospital for vaccinations, there was a shortage of vaccines. This was because they could not be stored properly, and although the authorities had resorted to the use of ice-boxes to try and maintain them at the right temperature, this did not work for long. Whether this problem has now been addressed has not been reported.
Giving an account of the regional figures for first vaccinations during his covid update on Thursday, Dr Anthony listed Region One as having inoculated close to 46.6% of their population; Region Two, 40.3%; Region Three, 42.6%; Region Four, 43.2%; Region Five, 46.5%; Region Six, 50.2%; Region Seven, 42.3%; Region Eight, 27.5%; Region Nine, 40.5%; and Region Ten, 12.4%.
The “outliers” as he called them, were Regions Eight and Ten, the lower figure for the first of which, as already noted, is probably explained by the current weather phenomenon. In the case of Region Ten, however, it was “vaccine hesitancy”. Last month there were also other islands of resistance in the Deep South of Region Nine, although these may have resolved themselves by now. The residents of Masekenari, for example, had refused to get vaccinated, even although 29 people had contracted the virus there, and one had died of it. It seemed to make no difference that a medical team had travelled out to the community. Some residents had retreated to their farms in the bush, both to avoid catching the virus and to avoid getting vaccinated. In other parts of the Rupununi, in contrast, the inoculation programme was going well. In a general sense, countering hesitancy in the interior probably involves enlisting the help of the Toshaos and Village Councils.
The case of Region Ten is more problematic. Last month the Minister said that he did not think people were analysing the scientific data properly, and were going by “hearsay”. Early in May RDC Vice-Chairman Douglas Gittens told this newspaper that residents were afraid they might experience serious side effects from the vaccines similar to those being reported elsewhere in the world. He went on to say that the combined efforts of government and the RDC to ensure that residents had access to accurate factual information had been insufficient, as other leaders were going around spreading misinformation and saying the vaccines were unsafe. If so, that is absolutely disgraceful. Clearly such individuals need to be identified and invited to a seminar run by acknowledged medical (not political) authorities explaining to them the scientific thinking behind vaccinations, and why they are safe. The doubting Thomases could then ask questions and receive the requisite reassurances.
For his part APNU+AFC MP Jermaine Figueira told Stabroek News that the government was not providing enough information on the vaccines and so residents were being forced to do their own research. He was of the view that the administration should be providing more scientific and evidence-based data to the public. One has to wonder whether even if they did that, the residents of the region would then overcome their reluctance. It is noticeable, for instance, that the region which has had the best uptake of vaccines so far is Six, which is the PPP heartland and whose population will be disposed to believe the government’s asseverations on the matter of safety, etc. In the case of Ten, the situation is the reverse.
It is true that Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon has spoken out and urged people to have the vaccine, but that is really not enough. His party needs to get active in those areas where they have influence, and send their members around the region to explain the rationale behind vaccination and dispel fears about it, since Covid-19 is no respecter of politics.
So if, as Mr Figueira says, the residents of Region Ten are doing their own research, just where are they doing it? And why is it that this information drowns out whatever the Ministry of Health has to say? The answer is most likely the anti-vaxxer pseudo-science on social media. If citizens do not have access to the internet themselves, they may be given information by others who do, or those who know others who do. Either way, this is probably the original source of the ‘hearsay’ to which the Minister referred.
The anti-vaxxer movement is not new, it has just been given an unexpected boost with the emergence of the coronavirus epidemic. It includes some high-profile figures such as Piers Corbyn, the brother of former Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn in the UK, and one of the sons of Robert Kennedy in the US. But the people ultimately behind what is now an extensive worldwide campaign are very small in number, and are using people’s vulnerability to exploit them mercilessly. Having created a kind of cult, they have made themselves wealthy by building businesses off it selling fake ‘cures’ like bleach, among other money-making enterprises. The social media platforms which have accommodated them have benefited similarly, and are estimated to have earned anything like $1 billion annually by the Center for Countering Digital Hate. Of course the movement is not lacking conspiracy theorists who seem to have regressed to a pre-Enlightenment era, but for all of that those at the centre are efficient professional propagandists who have created a franchise for themselves. Imran Ahmed of the CCDH describes them as “people running multi-million-dollar organizations, incorporated mainly in the USA, with as many as 60 staff each. They produce training manuals for activists, tailor their messages for different audiences, and arrange meetings akin to annual trades conferences, like any other industry.” And their message is simple: Covid-19 isn’t dangerous; vaccines are dangerous; you can’t trust doctors or scientists.
Perhaps the quickest way for the government here to counter all this nonsense and reach a substantial number of people would be to buy Britain’s Channel Four documentary exposing the anti-vaxxers. If they do that, they should not just show it on the government channel (the audience in Region Ten especially probably hardly watches it), but give it free of charge to as many private stations as will take it, particularly in Linden.
Looking at age groups, as opposed to geographical areas, Dr Anthony was reported as saying at the end of last month that only 27.2% of Guyanese between the ages of 18 and 40 had received their first dose. There is a problem with the younger age group in other countries as well, and the reason is thought to be that they feel they are less at risk than older people, and that if they catch the virus it will take a much milder form. What they are not taking into consideration is that even if they have it mildly, they can still pass it to others who may be much more vulnerable. In any case, the Minister has pointed out that new cases here fall predominantly within this cohort. It should be emphasised to them that it is their duty firstly, not to put everyone else at risk, and secondly to do their part in eliminating Covid-19. It might be added that it is younger people who are probably more likely to obtain their information from social media.
If the overwhelming majority of citizens can be persuaded to have their first vaccine, then the battle is half won, because if they have accepted the first dose, they will not be opposed in principle to a second one, which ultimately is the route to herd immunity.
