Covid-19 vaccine: People try to convince their families to be vaccinated

Scott Carlson makes it important to call his elderly parents every week. Each time he asked if he could schedule an appointment with the coronavirus vaccine for them, and each time the answer was no. The reason varies from week to week: they are afraid of allergic reactions, or claim that they are too old to need the vaccine.

His parents, who are in their mid to late 80s, live in senior apartments in a rural part of Wisconsin, an hour from Milwaukee, where Carlson lives. Six people contracted Covid-19 in their building, and three died from it.

‘I feel like my mother thinks she’s invulnerable, while she feels like my father’s not. “They know it can be serious, but they have a cavalier attitude about it,” Carlson told me. ‘I think because people die in their building in a given year of age, because they never did [personally] met someone who had Covid, they do not notice it. As much as Carlson is concerned, he tried to remain persistent and ‘proactive with dialogue’, and even offered to send them to the vaccination site. So far, they have continued to decline.

From health workers to military servicemen to older adults like Carlson’s parents, about 20 percent of U.S. adults are reportedly reluctant to receive the Covid-19 vaccine and are “fairly certain” that more information will not change their minds. not, according to a December survey by Pew Research Center. The survey found that people generally became more confident in the development process of the vaccine, but that Americans’ opinions about its safety and effectiveness still differ.

Adults like Carlson, who is not high on the priority list, are eager to qualify for family members for a chance as new Covid-19 variants are discovered and infections are rampant in most states. This refusal can therefore be frustrating and emotional. Many people have been putting their family out of the caution of their health for months and feel helpless about their loved ones unwillingness to be vaccinated.

Some people note that their families have not previously expressed sentiment against vaccinations, fearing that the newfound reluctance may be the result of misinformation – on social media and right-wing news sites, or of those within their family’s social circles. Although Facebook, Twitter and Google have put in place policies to remove misinformation about the coronavirus, media researchers say opinions and personal beliefs about a vaccine are harder to navigate.

“The platforms can not control people’s opinions,” researcher Darren Linvill told the Washington Post. ‘They can not stop someone from saying’ I’m not going to take the vaccine because I do not think it’s safe. ‘And these are the thoughts and opinions that have an effect on online communities, such as real fake news or real disinformation. ”

During his youth, Carlson recalls his parents as very health-conscious people, who received flu shots annually and fully vaccinated his brother and him. “They were not skeptical about vaccines in general,” he said. “They are not on social media, but do watch Fox News and may be influenced by other residents in the building.” His parents live in a rural and conservative city, he said, and some of their neighbors disdain them with masks.

Vaccine hesitation occurs for several reasons, and researchers have found that these attitudes are not uniform and do not necessarily extend to all vaccines; for some, the novelty of the Covid-19 vaccine and its rapid development process are worrying. However, it is important to note that these vaccines have been manufactured under heavy scientific investigation and tested in clinical trials prior to their distribution. Existing data confirm that the available vaccines are effective in protecting the recipient from the most serious Covid-19 outcomes, and that extreme side effects of the shot are extremely rare. Scientists claim that it is important for humans to be vaccinated, as each vaccination moves the US closer to herd immunity.

In September, Brian Resnick of Vox reported that women are more hesitant about a vaccine, as are political conservatives and rural people. Specific concerns for scientists are the hesitation of vaccine and access in black communities, which has already been excessively affected by the pandemic. According to public health experts, vaccine hesitation – and outright refusal – are reflected in issues of health equity. Racial differences in medical treatment and access and ineffective public communication can affect people’s confidence in the health care system. Older adults without digitally skilled caregivers are left behind in vaccination vaccinations, just like those without access to private transportation.

The lack of existing vaccination data is also of concern to researchers, USA Today reports. Only 16 states release vaccines by race and ethnicity, and without widespread data sharing, it is difficult to measure how communities of minorities, rural and low-income are affected. “The challenge,” Resnick wrote for Vox, “is that each of these communities needs a different strategy, has different underlying anxieties and fears, and needs a slightly different intervention to allay their fears.”

Nichole, a Columbus, Ohio resident who asked that her surname not be published to protect her privacy, feels isolated in her quest to convince her conservative family in Florida to accept the vaccine. They are Puerto Rican and have always been distrustful of the US government, she told me. Many people are already living as if the pandemic is over. Despite a Covid-19 scare in the family, which led to Nichole’s grandmother being admitted to hospital briefly, most members are still determined when it comes to refusing the vaccination and remaining skeptical about it.

“I was shocked when I heard my father say that the vaccine could make us sick or kill us,” Nichole said. ‘My parents are ordinary working people who are focused on their work and make sure they are financially sound. My dad is not really into politics and rarely watches the news, so it is possible that he was just listening to the propaganda that feeds the rest of the family. ”

Nichole regularly talks to her father, who is a truck driver, by telephone, but fears that their weekly conversations only confirm his refusal. “He also does not want my stepmother to take it, and he refuses to listen to the reason,” she said.

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Well-known political figures, including President Joe Biden, dr. Anthony Fauci, then-Vice President Mike Pence, and former Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, broadcast their vaccinations to encourage confidence in the process. However, experts are skeptical that celebrities and influential people could significantly distort public opinion about the vaccine, Stat News reports. Pop culture is more fragmented, and few beloved influencers have almost universal appeal.

Research has shown that Americans are more likely to trust information from sources they know – friends, family and fellow community members. Still, Nichole admits that her father lives in a social echo room. And while individuals like her have a duty to inform their loved ones, their efforts are unlikely to change on their own if they tackle this task alone.

“I’m the black sheep when it comes to my politics,” Angela, a Los Angeles woman, asked her surname not to be published, out of concern for her family’s privacy. ‘It’s hard to find me on a page so left of them, but I still try to examine them daily. I ask them every day if they feel good. ”

Angela’s older parents and younger sister live across the country in Staten Island. While flying home for the holidays, the family introduced a non-political speech at Christmas, and the discussion of the vaccine was later tabled. All three members of her family are eligible for their first dose, but Angela said they were ‘very outspoken in saying no’.

“When I personally tried to talk about the vaccine, the topic changed quickly and my parents said they would rather not go into it,” Angela said. ‘When we talk about it by telephone, I try to explain in a light way how [what they’ve heard about the vaccine] is just not true, and that we are always vaccinated for everything. … But it’s been kind of the battle for the last four years, except for pandemic. ”

While the Trump administration has sought to recognize rapid vaccine production (Kayleigh McEnany, then-White House press secretary, even referred to it as the “Trump vaccine”), some Trumpworld allies have made misleading claims about how the vaccine is widely distributed. will be. The former president also still remained a mother about its promotion. And this vagueness only evokes the skepticism and conspiracy thinking of its base, which shares a vigilance of authority figures and great government.

Where individual efforts may fail, local and state health officials may need to step in to combat misinformation and build trust. In Camden, New Jersey, a city whose residents are black and Hispanic, the Department of Health has made an effort to persuade people to take the vaccine.

“We know it’s better to deal with communities when you’re there,” Camden County Health Director Paschal Nwako told Fabiola Cineas to Vox. ‘When we go from door to door, it means that we are right in the community and it means that we enter into conversation with them here on the street, in front of their houses. And then we stick with them. ‘

Nichole hopes that some family members may change their minds over time. “Maybe the threat of not seeing them face to face could get the ball rolling,” she said. ‘Unless there is a huge effort to combat this misinformation from politicians and grassroots organizations, I do not think people’s opinions will change. We can not just leave it to celebrities. We need more people in the community who explain what is skeptical and have questions. ”