“They really woke up and chose virus, didn’t they? ❤️"

When many of us wake up to news such as the December 12th 2020 Straits Times survey in which “8 in 10 say yes to getting a Covid-19 vaccination”, it is easy for us to frown upon the remaining “2 in 10” who still object to its administration (1).

Coalesced with the onslaught of netizens chastising anti-vaxxers and flamboyant infographics advertising the numerous benefits of taking the vaccine, it becomes convenient for the public to crucify Singaporeans who still have some reservations about taking the vaccines. However, did they really “wake up and choose the virus”, or are their reservations actually justifiable?

“It’s the cancer-causing, DNA-altering, autism-inducing witch-brew for me.”

According to a Straits Times article published on 25th December 2020, around one in four Singaporean residents surveyed believed in a false claim that the Covid-19 vaccine was DNA-altering. Today’s age of digital proliferation comes with much disinformation, particularly false news and pseudoscience that often distorts our perception of the vaccines and its accompanying effects.

Secondary 4 River Valley High School student Goh Junyu commented that, “As I've gone around, [I heard] a lot of people talking about how the 90% effectiveness isn't really that effective, or that it comes with side effects such as dizziness, fatigue and fever.” Does that mean the vaccine is actually beneficial? Or does it actually harm us? Nonetheless, the idea of fear-mongering due to fake news continues to instil the public’s doubts in whether the vaccination rollout would be effective.

No doubt, these misgivings have been imbued with a rampancy on social media, where pseudoscientific Facebook groups have been spreading misinformation (2). Such phenomena have affected the elderly, who are more prone to believing in these falsehoods and more likely to possess apprehension toward the vaccines².

J2 Eunoia Junior College student Koh Liang Ai corroborates such a view and feels that “social media is highly opinionated in nature and thus would not shed an objective light on the controversial topic of the Covid-19 vaccine”, therefore sometimes obfuscating the facts for the less informed.

To jab or not to jab: Uncovering why “that is the question”

According to the WHO, it is confidence, complacency, and convenience which underlie one’s openness to vaccination. (3) Arguably most significant out of the three, confidence refers to the amount of trust one has in a vaccine’s efficacy and safety, as well as the bodies regulating its production and distribution.

It is evidently a significant element in the apprehension that 18% of Singaporeans have directed towards the Covid-19 vaccine (2). These concerns have tarnished public sentiment, resulting in a gnawing bout of Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy.

Those possessing the misconception that mRNA vaccines can modify a person’s DNA or render them infertile seem to believe that the vaccine, being of genetic material, can be integrated into our own genome to alter it permanently (2). This is highly improbable, if not impossible - the vaccine is unable to even enter the cell nucleus which stores our DNA.³

The public should thus be assured of the decades of research and scrupulous safety regulations surrounding the mRNA vaccines³. One of our interviewees, Dr Chin Jianghong — metabolomics researcher at Duke-NUS, alludes to these falsehoods being rooted in a limited knowledge of biomedical science.

Trust in the vaccine has also been undercut by seemingly inadequate safety trials. Pharmaceuticals have had a short and narrow runway to counter the coronavirus; as raised by Ms Koh, a concern exists that trials have been neither extensive nor diverse enough. Age, sex and ethnicity are all variables which influence a vaccine’s efficacy (4). However, Asians comprise just 5% of all Pfizer and Moderna trial participants while China’s Sinovac offers little information on the ethnic scope of their studies (5,6).

In small trials, a vaccine’s efficacy may also be overestimated and its risks underestimated.⁷ The recent fatalities amongst elderly Pfizer recipients in Norway may have revealed blindspots — namely, the severity of effects the vaccine may have on the oldest old and those with comorbidities (8). Furthermore, these trials have been expedited, and their long-term effects are still in the midst of unravelling before us (5). Regardless, the incidents have suffused new fear across the globe (8).

Vaccines Reasons Why

Perhaps when one hears about how quickly the Covid-19 vaccine was developed, they may feel skeptical about its efficacy. This sentiment is echoed around the globe as vaccines often take years to develop and test, yet the Covid-19 vaccine seems to be pushed out on a whim.

However, when we take a closer look at the development process of the vaccine, we will notice that it is not as hasty as rumours suggest. The Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine administered to Singaporeans has been reviewed and endorsed for use locally (9). It adheres to the WHO guidelines and has undergone several safety checks before being rolled out. Moreover, it is proven to have an efficacy of 95%, thus it has been scientifically approved to be safe for the public.

Dr Chin attempted to delve deeper into the biological significance of the vaccines locally. In relation to an ideal complete administration of vaccine doses locally, he also shared that there were insufficient vaccines locally to make that a reality, in addition to the vaccine not being suited for those who experience serious allergic reactions. As such, the professor pressed that “we have to administer sufficient [doses of the vaccine] to reach herd immunity”.

In our other interview with former Parliamentarian Mr Calvin Cheng, he provided another perspective to the pressing need to vaccinate our locals in that “our borders have to open and domestic restrictions have to be lifted as soon as possible.” This is particularly evident locally as we frequently hear the phrase “cabin fever’ being thrown around and see Singaporeans desperately searching for alternatives that can simulate travel experiences. Following the transition into Phase 3 of the Circuit Breaker, perhaps the vaccine can allow Singaporeans to board flights to “Somewhere” instead of “Nowhere”.

“The issue now for Singapore is that we have done a good job in suppressing the virus. Suppress, not end. This is done by border closure and domestic restrictions. So the majority feel safe. They don’t see the need to get vaccinated as people are not dying and cases are low. This is a false sense of security.” The complacency reflected in Singaporeans’ behaviour is alarming as there are still community cases recently and serves as a reminder to us that we cannot let our guard down.

As of November 2020, the Singapore economy was projected to shrink between 6% and 6.5% as testament to the global weakening of the economy due to the pandemic. While the economy is expected to bounce back, perhaps we should keep in mind that Singapore is primarily still a remunerative human hub of tourism and shipping, as well as look towards herd immunity and vaccinations as a sustainable and long-term solution for the recovery of the nation.

“Scared mati ah? Take the vaccine la!”

According to a International Science survey conducted by the PEW research center from 2019-2020, citizens worldwide respect scientists more than other institutions and prominent figures in society. However, the level of trust in researchers differs between regions. For instance, Asian countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and Japan report low levels of trust in scientists. Averaging 33%, 25%, and 23% respectively, many of the Asian countries seem to stray away from the global median of 36%.

In comparison, affluent western countries such as Australia, Netherlands, Canada and Germany all possess a higher amount of trust in scientists than the global average. However, does this mean that the Asian mindset has a negative impact on the willingness of citizens to be vaccinated?

Mr Tan*, a retired 73-year-old local alluded to the prevalent Kiasu-Kiasi (scared to lose out, scared to die) mindset by responding that “everyone will be afraid of losing out and dying”, in relation to why Singaporeans may be more likely to undergo vaccination.

“The Asian mindset would cause more people to take the vaccine,” agreed Mdm Wong*, a 72-year-old Singaporean. When further inquired as to why this is so, she replied that they are “afraid to die” in Mandarin, another reference to the Singaporean “Kiasi” mindset.

From a professional point-of-view, Dr Chin mused that “[The people] are waiting for political leaders to take the vaccine in order to prove that it is safe.” It seems that the Asian mindset deters individuals from taking the vaccine due to fears that it might harm the human body.

He also felt that “Kiasi beats kiasu hands down”, highlighting the fear of death, once again stating how Singaporeans are afraid of taking the vaccine due to the mindset ingrained into them by society at large.

A Vaccine for Local Misinformation

So, what can we as youths do to contribute to the global war against the pandemic? J2 Eunoia Junior College student Kasen Goh suggested, “Don’t spread what you see unless you’ve checked it, check what you’ve been spread before you believe, and take any government sponsored measures but please use a healthy dose of skepticism.”

Indeed, verifying all information before further promulgating it is extremely important. As not just youths but responsible netizens, we can play our part in the fight by setting an example as educated youths.

Additionally, youths should direct groups that are susceptible to fake news to reputable sources of information, such as news or government websites. This reduces their exposure to any questionable content and ensures that any information they receive does not deviate from the facts.

So did they really wake up and choose the virus? On one hand, we have the irresponsible Einsteins of the world who abuse the “share” button on pseudoscience articles and mislead others by propagating misinformation.

On the other hand, deep-seated cultural mindsets as well as genuine concerns about the safety of the vaccines should be issues we are invested in.

Let us create a culture of respect towards the decisions made by others even if their views do not align with ours.

*: These interviewees preferred to give their two-cents anonymously.

Written by Davina Sitoh, Jace Bong, Kassendra Lok Yixuan and Karenin Lee

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