may spreading misinformation undermine efforts immunize

Measles, for instance, saw a 30% spike in cases globally from 2016 to 2017, causing a resurgence in some countries that were close to eliminating it altogether.

However, should generations become complacent about getting vaccinated, infection and deaths could easily rise. Vaccination is one of the most efficient and cost-effective ways to ward off disease - it currently prevents 2 to 3 million deaths a year. Anthony Fauci said last December.īut fighting vaccine hesitancy isn’t just specific to the COVID-19 pandemic. Between 70% to 90% of the population will likely need to be vaccinated against the virus in order to achieve herd immunity and halt transmission, US infectious disease expert Dr. This data doesn’t bode well for plans to develop herd immunity against COVID-19. In eight of the countries, including Canada, Singapore, Nigeria, and France, less than 70% of the population responded positively. In a global survey led by Lazarus that looked at potential COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rates in 19 countries, respondents from China gave the highest number (89%) of positive responses when asked if they would take a “proven, safe, and effective vaccine,” while respondents in Russia gave the lowest number (55%) of positive responses. Next to the challenges of producing enough supply to vaccinate everyone and distributing available doses equitably, a major barrier to ending the COVID-19 pandemic is convincing people to actually get the vaccine once it’s available. Why is it important to address vaccine hesitancy? “Since taxpayers are paying for health care, there are a lot of good reasons to keep the population healthy, and vaccines are relatively inexpensive and extremely safe.” “If people don’t get vaccinated, not only can they get infected, but they can transmit deadly infectious diseases,” Jeffrey Lazarus, head of health systems research at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), told Global Citizen. One of the best ways to stop transmission of the deadly virus, while minimizing fatalities, is to immunize the global population with COVID-19 vaccines.

The current global health crisis has killed more than 2 million people, infected more than 100 million, and impacted the lives of most people around the world, regardless of geographic location or socioeconomic status.

May spreading misinformation undermine efforts immunize