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COVID-19 Vaccine Perspectives in 3 Countries

[1] In the Philippines, vaccine skepticism increased dramatically after a botched dengue vaccination program, with only 19% willing to get the COVID vaccine. Personal decisions and safety concerns will impact vaccination rates. [2] In some US states, there are religious exemptions allowing people to opt out of vaccination. Religious views have also impacted vaccination in Indonesia, where some see certain vaccines as forbidden. [3] Ethnic minority communities in the UK have been disproportionately affected by COVID. Cultural competence and clear communication will be important to address concerns and enable informed consent for vaccination within these communities.

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20 views2 pages

COVID-19 Vaccine Perspectives in 3 Countries

[1] In the Philippines, vaccine skepticism increased dramatically after a botched dengue vaccination program, with only 19% willing to get the COVID vaccine. Personal decisions and safety concerns will impact vaccination rates. [2] In some US states, there are religious exemptions allowing people to opt out of vaccination. Religious views have also impacted vaccination in Indonesia, where some see certain vaccines as forbidden. [3] Ethnic minority communities in the UK have been disproportionately affected by COVID. Cultural competence and clear communication will be important to address concerns and enable informed consent for vaccination within these communities.

Uploaded by

Christina Zamora
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Subtopics:

Normative:

1.) at least three perspectives based on personal, cultural, or religious belief

Personal
On March 1, the Philippine government kicked off its national vaccination program amid deep
skepticism. A survey by Octa Research conducted from January 26 to February 1 found that only
19% of Filipinos were willing to get vaccinated. Austriaco attributes this to “uncertainty and fear.”
But this was not always the case. A survey by the Vaccine Confidence Project found that as late as
2015, 82% of Filipinos believed that vaccines are safe and effective. In just 3 years, this number
dropped to 21% and 22%, respectively, after the Philippine government botched a pilot dengue
immunization program and failed to stem massive disinformation in its aftermath. With that being
said, the distribution of Covid vaccines would also be affected by personal decisions. It may seem as
a patriotic duty to do so or in normative ethics the deontological approach which calls for doing
certain things on principle or because they are inherently right, however there will be others who
won't oblige unless there is a good reason to do so and that is if the vaccines delivered here in the
country are actually scientifically proven and tested to be safe, thus for their own safety, which
exhibits the teleological approach which advocates that certain kinds of actions are right because of
the goodness of their consequences. So even if declining vaccination will lead to more possible covid
deaths, they would risk it just so it could save them from the harm of still unknown side effects of the
vaccines.

Religion

There are those who are opposed to the vaccination requirements were based on claims of religious
liberty or under specific laws that would allow for a religious exemption from any COVID-19
vaccine mandates. In some states including Indiana and Massachusetts, there are laws allowing
parents to cite religious reasons to opt out of childhood immunization requirements.

In Indonesia, religion has also played a role in the vaccination drive especially in a recent
controversy involving the vaccines of AstraZeneca. The main question: Are COVID-19 vaccines
halal (permissible) or haram (forbidden) like pork and liquor? The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI)
in its fatwa (ruling) dated March 16 stated that AstraZeneca was haram because in its production
process it used trypsin from pigs.

Culture
Globally, ethnic minority communities have been disproportionately affected by covid-19. Ethnicity is a
major risk factor for adverse outcomes, along with age, male sex, obesity, deprivation, and
comorbidities. Now, at the start of the UK’s national vaccination programme, culturally competent
conversations with ethnic minority communities are more important than ever to enable informed
consent, allay genuine concerns, break down barriers to uptake, and engage facilitators for the roll-out.
Cultural competence is defined as the ability of health systems to provide care to patients with diverse
values, beliefs, and behaviours by tailoring delivery to meet patients’ social, cultural, and linguistic
needs. Open and mature conversations with communities are important to reassure people about the
safety and efficacy of covid-19 vaccines, along with clear and accessible explanations of the accelerated
authorisation process used by the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

We recently recommended that ethnic minority communities should be considered a priority for
vaccination, but this is not yet in place. One potential alternative strategy is to use validated risk scores
such as QCOVID that consider a range of risk factors, including comorbidities, ethnicity, age, and
deprivation.

2. consider the three countries with the most COVID cases and their population

Common questions

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Cultural competence in healthcare is defined as the ability of health systems to provide care that is sensitive to and respects the diverse values, beliefs, and behaviors of patients by adapting their delivery to meet these social, cultural, and linguistic needs . This is crucial during the COVID-19 vaccination rollout to ensure informed consent, alleviate concerns, and dismantle barriers to vaccine uptake among ethnic minority communities that are disproportionately affected by COVID-19 .

Religious and cultural factors intersect to influence COVID-19 vaccination uptake by simultaneously shaping personal and community attitudes towards vaccines. Religion may dictate the acceptability of vaccine ingredients (as seen with AstraZeneca in Indonesia), while cultural factors may affect how health information is received and processed . Strategies to mitigate these impacts include culturally competent healthcare practices, open dialogue with religious authorities to address theological concerns, and targeted communication strategies tailored to specific communities that respect both cultural values and religious beliefs .

Utilizing cultural competence to address vaccine hesitancy involves ensuring healthcare providers are attuned to the beliefs and concerns of ethnic minority communities, which have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 . This approach can facilitate more effective communication, build trust, and increase vaccine uptake by providing culturally and linguistically appropriate information and care. Implementing cultural competence can break down institutional barriers and lead to a more equitable health system, fostering informed consent and alleviating valid concerns about vaccine safety and efficacy .

The main normative ethical approaches influencing people's decisions about COVID-19 vaccination in the Philippines include deontological and teleological ethics. The deontological approach suggests that getting vaccinated is a patriotic duty and is inherently right on principle . On the other hand, the teleological approach emphasizes that actions are right because of their good consequences. Thus, individuals may refuse vaccination unless convinced of the vaccine's safety to avoid potential side effects, despite risking further COVID deaths .

In Indonesia, religion significantly shapes vaccination attitudes, particularly through the issuance of religious rulings or fatwas. The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) declared the AstraZeneca vaccine haram due to its use of trypsin from pigs in its production process . Such religious rulings can lead to vaccine hesitancy among Muslims, highlighting the need for authorities to address and reconcile these beliefs through dialogue and guidance on permissible vaccine options .

Some Filipinos might view COVID-19 vaccination as a patriotic duty because it aligns with the principles of deontological ethics, which dictate that certain actions, such as vaccination, are inherently right and necessary for the collective good. This perspective encourages individuals to get vaccinated for the benefit of society at large, reducing transmission and contributing to public health and safety, thus aligning with a sense of national responsibility .

Using validated risk scores like QCOVID in the vaccination strategy is important as it considers various risk factors such as ethnicity, age, comorbidities, and deprivation to prioritize those at heightened risk of adverse COVID-19 outcomes. This method ensures a data-driven approach to vaccine distribution, potentially mitigating health disparities faced by ethnic minorities and aligning with targeted interventions based on actual risk rather than generalized criteria. It can lead to more effective resource allocation and better protection for vulnerable groups .

In regions like Indiana and Massachusetts, laws permit parents to claim religious exemptions for themselves and their children against vaccination requirements . Such legal provisions have significant implications, potentially lowering vaccination rates and jeopardizing herd immunity, which is vital for controlling diseases. These exemptions could facilitate outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, posing public health risks, especially in high-density or vulnerable populations .

The decline in public confidence in vaccines in the Philippines from 2015 to 2018 was primarily caused by a botched dengue immunization program. The government's mishandling of this program led to heightened public fear and uncertainty about vaccine safety and efficacy. Furthermore, the inability to curtail the spread of massive disinformation exacerbated the situation, causing the percentage of Filipinos who believed in vaccine safety and efficacy to plummet .

Declining vaccination based on fears of unknown vaccine side effects, as seen in the teleological ethical approach, could lead to serious repercussions including an increased number of COVID-19 cases and deaths. This approach emphasizes the consequences, and while attempting to avoid potential side effects, it may undermine public health efforts to control the pandemic. The fear-driven non-participation could prolong pandemic conditions, stressing healthcare systems and delaying a return to normalcy .

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