Invented by British physician and scientist Edward Jenner, the smallpox vaccine was the first jab ever developed against a contagious disease. In 1796, Jenner demonstrated that an infection with the relatively mild cowpox virus conferred immunity against the deadly smallpox virus. The vaccine ushered in the era of preventive measures for contagious diseases.
Jenner’s vaccine was novel for his time, however, and many people in England were skeptical. The original anti-vaxxers asked people not to get vaccinated because the cowpox virus will make ox-faced children, elderly women sprouting horns, and cloven minds. Many others objected to vaccination because they believed it violated their personal liberty, a tension that worsened as the government developed mandatory vaccine policies. The Vaccination Act of 1853 ordered mandatory vaccination for infants up to three months old, and the Act of 1867 extended this age requirement to 14 years, adding penalties for vaccine refusal. The laws were met with immediate resistance from citizens who demanded the right to control their bodies and those of their children.
From the Associated Press: “Thousands of demonstrators marched down Rome’s famous Via Veneto and other streets on Saturday, some smashing their way into a union office and clashing with police as they protested Italy’s new ‘Green Pass’ vaccination requirement for employees to enter their offices. The certification is mandatory beginning on October 15 and applies to public and private workplaces. Both employees and employers risk fines if they don’t comply. Public sector workers can be suspended if they show up five times without a Green Pass.”
Last week, President Joe Biden said the roughly 67 million unvaccinated American adults must get the shot even as he acknowledged that mandates weren’t his “first instinct.” “There is no other way to beat the pandemic than to get the vast majority of the American people vaccinated,” Biden said, adding that a stubborn slice of the public that has refused to be inoculated are jeopardizing the lives of others and the nation’s economic recovery.
In the Philippines, the government hopes to achieve herd immunity faster this year after President Duterte approved the vaccination of the general population against Covid-19 beginning in October. The country has been vaccinating priority sectors of the population, including health-care workers, senior citizens, people with comorbidities and frontline workers. It’s now expanding coverage for all citizens after solving supply constraints. Vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said the government expects to receive around 100 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines by the end of October.
This early, the turnout is not as high as the government wants it to be. Vaccine hesitancy remains an issue, particularly among the elderly in both far-flung and densely populated communities. Even Davao City, the President’s hometown, about half a million residents were unable or simply refused to get themselves vaccinated against Covid (See, “Davao City grapples with vaccine hesitancy, outright refusal,” in the BusinessMirror, September 30, 2021). Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said the city government would still resort to persuasion, as city officials finalize the strategy to “incentivize” the target backlog with food packs and even gift certificates.
Health experts around the world are one in saying that the arrival of safe and effective vaccines is a major development in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. As more people are vaccinated, families and communities will be able to gradually return to a more normal routine. The Philippines may be getting 100 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines by the end of this month, but we won’t reach herd immunity if many Filipinos remain unvaccinated.
Health experts say vaccine-hesitant people who are on the fence far outnumber vaccine refusers. Addressing their fear and counseling these people might be an effective strategy. As the most trusted source of information on the Covid vaccine, our health workers, we believe, should play a key role in driving vaccine acceptance among doubters.