Skepticism of vaccines emerges as early test for Biden

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Skepticism of vaccines emerges as early test for Biden

Biden’s incoming administration will face an immediate challenge in persuading a skeptical American public to take a COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes widely available.

Health officials, including the nation’s top infectious disease expert, Anthony Fauci, say at least 70% of the American population will need to take the vaccine to control the virus so that future outbreaks are easily managed and that life can come back to life. Ordinary.

But opinion polls show only a slim majority of Americans are willing to trust a first-generation vaccine. These numbers are significantly lower among black and Latino respondents – two of the most affected demographics.

In a new Ipsos poll released on Tuesday, 51% of those polled said they would take a vaccine immediately as soon as it became available.

The reasons for skepticism vary. Some people have cited what they called the politicization of a vaccine by the Trump administration, despite officials’ denials that politics played a role in rapid development.

“The president and I have made it clear that politics will play no role in the development, manufacture, distribution or approval of a vaccine,” Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said Tuesday.

But he acknowledged that personal politics could play a role in determining whether some people trust the safety of a COVID-19 vaccine.

“And of course, as with the passing of the elections, we have seen in public polls an increase in the acceptance of vaccines among people,” Azar said.

Some Americans have questioned the speed of the development process, many of them concerned that the administration’s “warp speed” approach to scientific review and vaccine regulation could compromise safety.

Peter Hotez, co-director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children’s Hospital, said to combat this hesitation, President-elect Joe Biden’s team will need to launch a concerted communications campaign with trusted scientists.

Letting CEOs of pharmaceutical companies take the lead isn’t very effective, Hotez said.

“There are going to be a lot of questions about these brand new [vaccine] technologies. We do not know the durability of the protection. We don’t know herd immunity, we don’t know if people are still going to need to practice some degree of social distancing and wear masks, even after vaccination, ”Hotez said.

“All of this must be communicated on a frequent and regular basis,” he added.

Vin Gupta, a professor at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington and an advisor to Biden’s transition team, said there would be resistance and skepticism about a vaccine against the coronavirus, but it will likely be more limited than widespread.

Gupta, whose name was announced as surgeon general for the Biden administration, said the messengers would be just as important as the message.

“I think a big problem here is the lack of trust. Trust is built on credibility and authenticity, especially in medicine, and trust is not built by putting in people who are not seen to be. experts, either through lived experience or because they have years in public health and they know what they are talking about, ”said Gupta.

He suggested giving a role to long-sidelined career leaders like Nancy Messonnier, the public health official who first warned of major disruption from COVID-19 in February.

“You can’t just put somebody who’s been through their pandemic in a suit or at a Zoom conference, and put them in front of the American people and say, ‘Get the shot.’ Trust is earned and earned through real experience, ”said Gupta.

While no COVID-19 vaccine has yet been cleared for use, a candidate from Pfizer and BioNTech could be cleared in as little as two to three weeks. The drug has been shown to be 95% effective in preventing mild and severe forms of COVID-19.

A similar vaccine from Moderna is expected to follow shortly thereafter, and in between, Trump administration health officials plan to distribute around 40 million doses to states by the end of the year, enough to vaccinate. 20 million people.

Fauci, a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, has long said public confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine approval process is key to beating the pandemic.

“We have to keep hammering this house, because for the group of people who are concerned about the process, the process is solid,” Fauci said at a recent event hosted by Stat News.

Yet the Trump administration has largely focused its efforts on developing a vaccine, rather than trying to contain the virus. As a result, there are lingering concerns about the politicization of the process.

President Trump has repeatedly promised that a vaccine would be widely available before the election and publicly complained when Pfizer announced positive results a week after voters cast their ballot.

Several states – mostly with Democratic governors – and the District of Columbia announced the formation of committees that would further review any vaccine reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration.

“We don’t take anybody’s word. We will do our own independently reviewed process with our world-class experts,” California Governor Gavin Newsom (R) said last month during the panel’s announcement. State.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (R), who has clashed with Trump frequently, had a similar message.

“Frankly, I’m not going to trust the opinion of the federal government,” Cuomo said when he announced his state panel in September.

In an interview with the Washington Post this week, Fauci said he understood why governors could be suspicious, but urged them to trust the process.

“I can understand, but I don’t agree with what they’re doing.… They’ve heard mixed messages from Washington,” Fauci said.

“So I don’t blame them for wondering what’s going on,” he added. “But I can tell them, if they are listening, and I hope they are, that the process is really a solid process.”