The COVID 19 vaccine : fear it not!

Abstract

As a paediatrician I see children and speak to parents, who frequently recount how the pandemic has adversely affected their lives and livelihood, with many describing ‘hard times’ in relation to their family, job, travel, income, disposable wealth, etc., etc. Invariably, the question “How will it all end?” crops up and directs the discussion toward vaccination. Despite having just described the ‘hit’ that they have sustained, medically or economically or both, and even before any discussion on the rationale and benefits of a vaccine, I am repeatedly surprised by many parents’ immediate comment that “They fear and will not take the vaccine” and, equally concerning, that they “. . . will be reluctant to give the vaccine to their child”. This position is by no means exceptional, and stems from an inherent fear of something new that is relatively untried, and is compounded by misunderstanding from or confusion within the general and social media (less so in the regulated and mainstream channels), as well as unsubstantiated claims from anti-vaxxers.