Vaccine Hesitancy, Let Me Count the Reasons

Everyone who was eager to get the coronavirus vaccine has pretty much been able to get one if they had the time and wherewithal to obtain one. Now the challenge that many face is the ability to find time or transportation to have access to the vaccine. Getting more vaccines down to pharmacies and doctor’s offices will be one strategy to have those who want the vaccine to have access.

Then there is a significant number of people in all age groups who are vaccine hesitant. Their personal experience, medical issues from the past, and uncertainty about a new vaccine are just the tip of the hesitancy iceberg.

This won’t be an exhaustive list, but I’ll take a crack at listing the reasons people have put forth that I’ve heard about:

• The rapidity with which the vaccine(s) was developed
• A history of medical experimentation on people of color
• The various types of vaccines and which one is better
• The fact that serious blood clots were a rare impact of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine
• A lack of trust in government in general
• The long-term impacts of the vaccine are not known
• Vaccines only have “emergency authorization” by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Vaccines cause autism
• COVID-19 is just like the flu
• I don’t get the flu shot to begin with
• COVID-19 is a gigantic hoax made up by the government and others
• All vaccines can be bad for you
• I’m young and young people appear to only have mild cases of the virus
• It is a political statement on the part of some
• Bill Gates has put tiny microchips in the vaccine so you can be tracked
• It is all part of a vast conspiracy by ______ to ______, which threatens your well being and freedom
• It is all going to be done soon. Look, things are opening up now.
• I don’t like getting shots (my granddaughter)
• You can’t tell me what to do!

There has to be many more that can be added to the above list, but this is it for now.