People who oppose vaccination won’t be swayed by statistics. To convince them, it is necessary to share real-life experiences and stories with which they will identify.
In Fiji, 95% of adults have received one jab and 80% are fully vaccinated. In PNG, however, less than 1% of the population is fully vaccinated – and the country is giving away its vaccines.
Trust is needed to curb vaccine hesitancy. Governments need to explain vaccines and other public health measures, while also speaking to the broader purpose of caring for the community we belong to.
A growing body of research shows that nutrition, sleep, exercise and a host of other lifestyle choices can help optimize the immune system. But they are no substitute for life-saving vaccines.
Making vaccines in South Africa by building on the foundation that’s been laid is possible. But only if substantial and sustained investment in human resources and infrastructure becomes a reality.
Your body produces antibodies after an infection or vaccine, but these slowly decline over time. New Johnson & Johnson data sheds light on the duration of protection and the need for booster shots.
Fault lines between the FDA and CDC regulatory processes have been on full display in the decisions over which groups of Americans should receive the Pfizer booster shot.
There are a variety of reasons why people do or don’t want to be vaccinated. Depending on how they frame their messaging around vaccination, doctors can often be the deciding factor.
Although there is no evidence yet that it affects COVID-19 vaccines, schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical disease, has been associated with lower vaccine immunity for several vaccines.
Dean Faculty of Health Sciences and Professor of Vaccinology at University of the Witwatersrand; and Director of the SAMRC Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, University of the Witwatersrand