Vaccine hesitancy: A villainous opinion against science or a genuine concern in vulnerable communities?

Vaccine hesitancy. Two words that can evoke a variety of emotions in many of us. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the notion of vaccines and their relative benefits, or “lack thereof” for some, are still fresh in our mind… but why was there such a clear division? Why were some of us willing to believe in the vaccine, while others were not? Here I hope to illuminate some reasons to why there may have been some initial resistance against the scientific community and their endorsement of vaccinations.

For many of us, especially those in the black and brown community, where the opinion of doctors and medical institutions were already seen in a negative light, we can recall the various reasons to why those around us, our families, our friends, may have been wary of “taking the jab”.   

The echoes of their voices confessing out loud, behind the static of the news updates during the surge of the virus, on how they didn’t want to be tricked by an authoritative force. Their government. As if they had no say in their own life choices. The helplessness that came from the uncertainty of vaccines’ true effectiveness because it was just too science-y to understand. The overwhelming realization that they would have to entrust their well-being to a system that some believed already failed them. It was all too much. It was just easier to deny even the possibility that it may work, the hope would be too much to bear in a world under siege and isolation.

However, where did this hesitancy truly stem from? For some, it may have stemmed from an event that happened in our American history. An unfortunate and disturbing act against men in the black community under the guise of healthcare. In 1932, scientists conducted the Tuskegee Syphilis Study (previously named, the “Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male”) to record how Syphilis presented itself in humans if left untreated without medical interventions. These men who participated were never told what they were being injected with, only that it would improve their health, to cure their “bad blood”. These men were promised free food, free medical exams, and burial insurance so long as they gave their arm to science.  The injection was beneficial, the scientists would say, it would help them, nothing more. They lied. And this lie, unfortunately, would only come to light 50 years later in 1972 when the experiment was halted by a scientific review committee deeming it “ethically unjustified”. But by then, the damage was done. The hurt and betrayal was all that was left in the widows and children of these trusting black men, most who died following the study. How could these families not feel like their loved ones were Guinea pigs for science? Generations of families hurt by science. By Scientists. Smiling and pretending to be on their side. Testing on them without any care of their humanity. Some would be wary of any promise of an injectable cure from a lab coat, after having this affect their family.

Another reason could be the lack of a fundamental understanding that scientists are not predictors of all future outcomes. That they can be wrong from time to time, and if they are, it was not a blatant and intentional lie told to deceive. 

 Science isn’t an absolute. It’s not stagnant. Science is ever changing, evolving with the data that is presented at each and every moment.  When facts present themselves to not in fact be facts, we shouldn’t jump to the automatic conclusion that the scientific community was plotting against us all along but that science, like anything, can be revised with time. For example, very early on into the pandemic, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, advised the public to not wear masks. Then, after some time, he advised that everyone SHOULD wear a mask. But why did his recommendation change? For some Americans, they saw this as him backtracking and changing his mind made his new stance invalid because he’ll just change his mind again anyway. However, science needs time to collect the necessary data to form a consensus. Scientists were in the dark of what the COVID-19 virus was, let alone how to combat it. They were unaware of how contagious it was, how 40-45% of infected people didn’t have symptoms, and how infections were mostly transmitted through those people interacting with others without a mask. So, the importance of masks changed because the data changed. Science can change. Just like we can change. Like our opinions can change when new data presents itself.

Yes, I’m a proponent of the vaccine. It’s effective and it works. As a scientist, I know how it works. The science is sound. However, without my scientific background, I can acknowledge how that might not be so clear to see. That the words like, “immune system” and “antibodies” might be too foreign to comprehend.  To reach non-science people, a different approach is necessary. People with vaccine hesitancy don’t want just “the facts”, they want their fears validated and heard. They need scientists to be a safe space to air their concerns, to ask questions, without the fear of being judged and labeled as “an anti-vaxxer”. (Oh no, anything but that!)

As I’ve mentioned, someone being hesitant to the vaccine doesn’t automatically make someone an “anti-vaxxer”. Those of us who had the privilege of feeling safe and protected by our community based on our skin-color or having the opportunity of acquiring a scientific education, or just having an overall sense of trust in science due to never being abused by it, shouldn’t be quick to judge others who never had a chance to have that sense of security. Those that are distrusting may see simple requests such as wearing a mask or distancing themselves from loved ones as a red flag, signaling to them to not let themselves be taken advantage of again by science.

Ultimately, regardless of where you stand, I hope that you come to understand that we’re all getting through the Covid-19 pandemic together. Scientists and others alike. I hope with a little encouragement we can end vaccine hesitancy and judgement against those with vaccine hesitancy, because people who are hesitant to be vaccinated may have valid reasons to mistrust the medical and scientific community. And unless we’re willing to listen to their perspective, how can we expect our community to listen to ours?

Valerie J. Marallano is a PhD candidate in cancer biology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and currently resides in East Harlem, New York with her long-term partner. Her writings often include insights into topics that bridge the gap between science and our ever-changing society. As a lesbian who underwent adversity, she hopes to reach an audience that feels seen and understood through her works.

Edited by Denise Croote, PhD