With several prospective COVID-19 vaccines are in final stages of trials, it has emerged that many people have doubts in their minds regarding the effectiveness of vaccines against the novel coronavirus.
Many organisations wanted to dismiss these misconceptions that people have but still there are many who are cautious. As there are many myths and misinformation going around contributes to this too.
According to a recent survey that around 65 per cent of Indians may not be willing to take the vaccine when it is made available to them in India. This is a upsetting trend that is reflected around the world. But, thanks to an initiative undertaken by the United Nations, people can address their fears directly to the scientists and have all their questions answered.
Over 100 scientists under an UN initiative have together joined hands to tackle the problem of misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines and build confidence by busting myths. Therefore, sharing information is important for the safety and effectiveness of vaccines via the social media.
The UN has collaborated with The Vaccine Confidence Project at the University of London to undertake Team Halo, an initiative which aims to counter the misinformation around COVID-19 vaccines.
Indian Scientists Too Join This Global Initiative
The initiative is supported globally by scientists who are involved in the chase of coronavirus vaccine development across the world’s top institutes like Imperial College London, Harvard Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, University of Barcelona and many others.
In India, over 22 scientists have joined Team Halo from renowned institutes including Institute of Medical Sciences and Sum Hospital; PGIMER, Nizams Institute of Medical Sciences, IIT Indore, Christian Medical College, SRM Research Institute, and Deep Children’s Hospital and Research Centre.
Know The Science Behind Vaccine Development
Gagandeep Kang, Professor of Microbiology at Christian Medical College Vellore, said in a statement, “At my institution, we are studying how COVID-19 reinfection operates and I am excited about opening up the story of the search for COVID-19 vaccines for the public.”
“People want to know about the science and stories behind the headlines, and I’m delighted to be experimenting with social media to make serious points in creative ways,” he added.
Scientists to Respond Public Questions Directly
Team Halo India will also allow scientists to respond to questions from the public and directly counter vaccine misinformation and rumours spreading in parts of the internet. Besides India, Team Halo aims to highlight the work undertaken by scientists in the UK, the US, South Africa, Qatar, UAE, France, Spain, Peru, Canada and Brazil and create a platform for communication between the scientists working on Covid-19 vaccines and the citizens of these countries.
They are producing social media videos on topics like COVID-19 vaccine science, personal experiences and reactions to COVID-19 vaccine news items. Scientists are also participating in Team Halo and are keen to stress the global nature of their work and recognize the contribution made by thousands around the world.