Inequities & Misinformation in the Vaccine Realm

Since the COVID-19 vaccines have been rolled out, the inequity and scattered distribution have been increasingly noticeable. Vaccine disparities in lower-income communities within the United States have improved slightly with the Biden administration announcing their commitment to fighting vaccine inequities with $10 million in funding. However, overcoming the barrier for vulnerable communities globally is still a concern as the world grapples with the unfair distribution of vaccines in third world countries.

The Washington Post published a report with a global map further showcasing how large the disparities are. An example is Nigeria, where according to The Washington Post, “officials are battling both a shortage of supplies and vaccine hesitancy” and less than 1 percent of people had a dose. While wealthier countries purchased a lot of vaccines when they were able to do so, those in lower-income countries show that around 1 in 500 are vaccinated as opposed to 1 in 4 people in higher-income countries.

Vaccine misinformation and propaganda is also rampant, leading to a lack of medical advice and trust from individuals. Especially in the states, although vaccines are somewhat readily available, there is still hesitation. Medical professionals are sharing information about vaccines and building trust through incentives and reassurance. California rolled out their incentive program with the promise of rewards and cash prizes, which successfully led to a rise in vaccinations within the state. There was also the “Get Out the Vax” campaign in April that had community organizations and recruiters going around neighborhoods in LA county where vaccination rates weren’t as high as hoped.

Medical professionals mention the importance of figuring out exactly what has people on edge and creating efforts to overcome those worries and make that jump. Oftentimes, social media also brings harm by having people focused on likes and which video gets the most engagement than listening to actual facts. When people take to Twitter to see what others are posting without fact-checking that causes just as much harm as any other method against the vaccine.

Along with incentives, certain hospitals are now mandating the vaccine for health officials due to a still low vaccination rate amongst health-care workers. The hesitancy seems to be the main concern for the vaccine misinformation and healthcare workers are still trying to do what they can to establish trust. If we actively address inequality and the constant disinformation in terms of the health field, the job force, etc., it will further help promote social change.