Going against the flow: Motivations of professionals with critical views on vaccination
T he controversy over vaccines has persisted since their introduction in the eighteenth century. While many studies have addressed the concerns and motivations of the general population regarding hesitation and resistance to vaccination (especially parents, concerning routine childhood immu...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Victimology Society of Serbia and Prometej-Beograd
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Temida |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/1450-6637/2022/1450-66372202155E.pdf |
| Summary: | T he controversy over vaccines has persisted since their introduction in the
eighteenth century. While many studies have addressed the concerns and
motivations of the general population regarding hesitation and resistance to
vaccination (especially parents, concerning routine childhood immunization),
the present study was designed to examine this issue among professionals
from a victimological perspective, thus its uniqueness. Study participants
were researchers and practitioners involved with vaccines who hold a
critical position on vaccines and their ways of dealing with what they
perceived as suppression of dissent in the field of vaccination. The
motivations identified among the researchers and practitioners in our study
referred to ethical aspects of professional obligation to patients, patient
rights, freedom of choice, and lack of trust in the medical establishment.
The participants also perceived themselves as victims of suppressive tactics
due to their critical position, to which they responded in two contrasting
ways: continuing to dissent while insisting on their right to have their
voices heard or abandoning their public dissent due to the reactions and
repercussions they faced. The article discusses the implications of these
findings in the context of scientific integrity, violation of democratic and
ethical values, freedom of speech, and its impact on the public’s trust in
science and medicine. |
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| ISSN: | 1450-6637 2406-0941 |