COVID-19 Vaccination Rollout: Aspects of Acceptability in South Africa
Unprecedented in scale, immense COVID-19 immunization programs have been rolled out globally. This article explores aspects of hypothetical vaccine acceptability in Soweto, South Africa, shortly before such vaccines became available. Whereas hypothetical acceptance was normative, this has not transl...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-08-01
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| Series: | Vaccines |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/10/9/1379 |
| _version_ | 1797481638262734848 |
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| author | Bent Steenberg Nellie Myburgh Andile Sokani Nonhlanhla Ngwenya Portia Mutevedzi Shabir A. Madhi |
| author_facet | Bent Steenberg Nellie Myburgh Andile Sokani Nonhlanhla Ngwenya Portia Mutevedzi Shabir A. Madhi |
| author_sort | Bent Steenberg |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Unprecedented in scale, immense COVID-19 immunization programs have been rolled out globally. This article explores aspects of hypothetical vaccine acceptability in Soweto, South Africa, shortly before such vaccines became available. Whereas hypothetical acceptance was normative, this has not translated into uptake today, which remains concerningly low in South Africa, especially in Soweto. For that reason, we mobilize anthropological concepts to analyze acceptance, hesitancy, and denial to gauge public proclivity to inoculate. We found that COVID-19′s haphazard mediatization generated a ‘field of suspicion’ towards authorities and vaccination, which, amplified by dis- and misinformation, fostered othering, hesitancy, and denialism considerably. Further, we demonstrate that stated intent to immunize cannot be used to predict outcome. It remains paramount during vaccination rollouts to unveil and address aspects detrimental to vaccine confidence and selectivity, especially in lower-income groups for underlying context-specific cultural, spiritual, historical, and socioeconomic reasons. Appropriate mediazation alongside a debunking of counterfactual claims is crucial in driving forward immunization. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:17:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9bd91bc4de5c4d2584a501b80d8a6918 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-393X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:17:27Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Vaccines |
| spelling | doaj.art-9bd91bc4de5c4d2584a501b80d8a69182023-11-23T19:20:02ZengMDPI AGVaccines2076-393X2022-08-01109137910.3390/vaccines10091379COVID-19 Vaccination Rollout: Aspects of Acceptability in South AfricaBent Steenberg0Nellie Myburgh1Andile Sokani2Nonhlanhla Ngwenya3Portia Mutevedzi4Shabir A. Madhi5South African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown 2193, South AfricaSouth African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown 2193, South AfricaSouth African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown 2193, South AfricaSouth African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown 2193, South AfricaSouth African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown 2193, South AfricaSouth African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown 2193, South AfricaUnprecedented in scale, immense COVID-19 immunization programs have been rolled out globally. This article explores aspects of hypothetical vaccine acceptability in Soweto, South Africa, shortly before such vaccines became available. Whereas hypothetical acceptance was normative, this has not translated into uptake today, which remains concerningly low in South Africa, especially in Soweto. For that reason, we mobilize anthropological concepts to analyze acceptance, hesitancy, and denial to gauge public proclivity to inoculate. We found that COVID-19′s haphazard mediatization generated a ‘field of suspicion’ towards authorities and vaccination, which, amplified by dis- and misinformation, fostered othering, hesitancy, and denialism considerably. Further, we demonstrate that stated intent to immunize cannot be used to predict outcome. It remains paramount during vaccination rollouts to unveil and address aspects detrimental to vaccine confidence and selectivity, especially in lower-income groups for underlying context-specific cultural, spiritual, historical, and socioeconomic reasons. Appropriate mediazation alongside a debunking of counterfactual claims is crucial in driving forward immunization.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/10/9/1379South AfricaCOVID-19vaccine acceptancyvaccine hesitancyvaccine denial |
| spellingShingle | Bent Steenberg Nellie Myburgh Andile Sokani Nonhlanhla Ngwenya Portia Mutevedzi Shabir A. Madhi COVID-19 Vaccination Rollout: Aspects of Acceptability in South Africa Vaccines South Africa COVID-19 vaccine acceptancy vaccine hesitancy vaccine denial |
| title | COVID-19 Vaccination Rollout: Aspects of Acceptability in South Africa |
| title_full | COVID-19 Vaccination Rollout: Aspects of Acceptability in South Africa |
| title_fullStr | COVID-19 Vaccination Rollout: Aspects of Acceptability in South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | COVID-19 Vaccination Rollout: Aspects of Acceptability in South Africa |
| title_short | COVID-19 Vaccination Rollout: Aspects of Acceptability in South Africa |
| title_sort | covid 19 vaccination rollout aspects of acceptability in south africa |
| topic | South Africa COVID-19 vaccine acceptancy vaccine hesitancy vaccine denial |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/10/9/1379 |
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