Covid-19: in Indonesia, compulsory vaccination arouses mistrust
Mass vaccination of vendors in the Tanah Abang textile market in Jakarta, Indonesia's capital, February 17, 2021. REUTERS - AJENG DINAR ULFIANA
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
For several months now, Indonesia has stood out from other nations in terms of vaccine policy.
The fourth most populous country in the world was thus the first to offer a certified “halal” vaccine.
Priority was also given to healthy youth rather than fragile people.
From now on, the vaccine will also be compulsory, under penalty of sanctions which may take, for example, the form of a fine and suspension of social assistance.
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With our correspondent in Kuala Lumpur,
Gabrielle Maréchaux
When we ask epidemiologist Dicky Budiman what he thinks of the obligation to be vaccinated against Covid-19, his answer is blunt.
“
It's a bad idea,
” he says.
Really, because it is to give an additional weapon to anti-vaccines
”.
However, according to the latest polls, 52% of Indonesians questioned hesitate to be vaccinated.
“
This group mainly included people who wanted to wait, see the first results, who even had doubts,”
explains epidemiologist.
Those who categorically rejected the vaccine represent about 5% of the population.
Now the public will be asking a lot of questions, like, for example
: “why is this mandatory?
“
And they're going to find the answers in conspiracy theories.
"
Fake news
With so far only the
Sinovac vaccine
available,
fake news
often took root in anti-Chinese racism.
But Dicky Budiman is sure, when more vaccines arrive in Indonesia, other conspiracy theories will accompany them.
“
Some people already say that RNA vaccines inject a microchip,
” he says.
Last December, the World Health Organization (WHO) advised to launch vaccination campaigns on a voluntary basis.
A sensible choice for Dicky Budiman, because obligation is not a guarantee of efficiency.
“
If I base myself on my experience, for example, with the vaccine to eradicate polio, there have always been extremist ideologies,” he
says.
But the more one forces to be vaccinated, the more these ideas are radical and violent.
Another concern for the epidemiologist: the first phase of vaccination has so far had no effect on the curve of positive cases, enough to fuel the conspirators.
►
See also: Covid-19: Indonesia launches its “halal” vaccination campaign and for young people first
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Indonesia
Coronavirus
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Health and medicine
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