Entering the second year of the pandemic, many countries are now busy rationing and administering vaccines to their citizens. At last, there’s a slight hope for fighting this virus.
The US Government has approved the vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna. As of February 8, 2021, about 32.3 million people had received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine in the country.
Health workers are among the first group who are eligible for vaccination. However, a record number of people from these professional backgrounds have said they would reject the vaccine, fearing it would affect their health. And their concern is valid because there are cases where the vaccine triggered a strong adverse effects. The fact that these vaccines were developed in a rush has also raised some questions around its efficacy.
However, the government’s emergency approval on the vaccines is also justified, as the number of death from coronavirus keeps increasing. This is happening in the US and other countries around the world.
We’re all racing against time. We’re left with no option but getting the vaccines as soon as we can.
In Indonesia, when Sinovac’s vaccine was granted approval, the public was very divided. Many cast doubt since the vaccine was developed by the same country that covered the first Covid-19 breakout. Some also doubted its halal status, even after the clerics announced that the vaccine is halal.
But, as time has passed, people seem to have become more and more accepting. You may ask, how? What happened?
On January 13, President Jokowi volunteered to get the first shot of the vaccine. Along with him was Raffi Ahmad, a famous celebrity, whom he appointed as the “vaccine ambassador”. They were both getting inoculated on camera.
Jokowi said he did this because he wanted to ease public doubt about the safety of the vaccine and allay fears about it not being halal. And his choice of celebrity is right for that purpose: Raffi is a Muslim himself and is very active on social media.
Raffi Ahmad is like the Nick Jonas of Indonesia. We’ve seen him on TV since he was a teenager. We’ve heard his struggles and his success stories. People have a stronger connection to him than to any politician.
The Western media may not mention Raffi’s name in reports about Jokowi’s first vaccination but this man may have the strongest influence in changing the public perception about the vaccine in Indonesia.
Had Jokowi picked a political figure to become a vaccine ambassador, it would’ve turned out differently. People are tired of politicians and the less we see them, the better.
Remember when the Covid-19 nasal swab test looked gross? When Ryan Reynolds did it, people thought it was funny. Now, as more celebrities have recorded themselves doing the test, it doesn’t look as horrid as it used to. These celebrities may not realize that they’re normalizing a medical procedure that was once met with suspicion.
What about the recent US election? People have seen a rise in voter turnout after many celebrities encouraged people to vote. BLM campaigns also gained a lot of support and donations, thanks in part to celebrities who use their platforms to voice their concerns.
The role of celebrities in shaping public opinion is even stronger in countries where young people make up the majority of the population.
One may hate celebrities for how powerful they are in shaping public opinion, but the fact is that people trust them more than politicians. So I really think we can use their help to ease the doubt around Covid-19 vaccines.
This is by no means skipping expert advice, but it is normalizing the situation. It’s not about making them the experts of Covid-19 vaccines, but instead is a focus on them assisting the vaccine supporters who help fight misinformation and spread awareness about the importance of these vaccines.
They can use their platforms to share expert advice and and official health info with the public. They can also share their personal experience with the vaccines.
Randal Park, for instance, has shared that he’s volunteered himself for the vaccine development. Mayim Bialik, an actress and a neuroscientist, has recently shared with the public that’s she’s going to get a Covid-19 vaccine.
I think this is a good start. Hopefully, more celebrities will soon catch up.
Image credit: U.S. Secretary of Defense