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Planned fearmongering keeping youth from vaccines: DDGHS

28 Sep 2021

  • Health Ministry claims deliberate campaign highlights false side effects 
  • Commercial interests behind anti-vaxxing propaganda: Community health don 
BY Pamodi Waravita  The Health Ministry said yesterday (28) that a deliberate campaign of misinformation is leading to vaccine hesitancy among the youth in Sri Lanka, which has the potential to hinder future vaccination-related plans including the vaccination of other age groups who are waiting in line to be inoculated.  “Due to a number of myths, the youth have shown vaccine hesitancy. I think that this is a planned and deliberate campaign to spread misinformation about the consequences of vaccination. This is why we are urging youth to get vaccinated as there are other age groups waiting to get vaccinated after them,” Health Ministry Communications Director, Public Health Services Deputy Director General (DDG), and Disaster Preparedness and Response Division Head Dr. Hemantha Herath said while addressing the media yesterday. Anti-vaxxing propaganda doing the rounds has claimed that Covid-19 vaccines cause impotence and sub-fertility.  The Epidemiology Unit states that as of 26 September, only 12.7% of the country’s population between the ages of 20 and 29 years have been fully vaccinated with two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine. Less than half (48.5%) of the population in the same category have received one dose of the vaccine.  Speaking to the media on 27 September, Colombo University Medical Faculty Professor of Community Health Manju Weerasinghe said that some of those who are promoting anti-vaxxing ideas are doing so with commercial motives.  “If we look at the background and context behind those who spread misinformation about vaccines on social media, we can identify commercial reasons. We urge everybody to get vaccinated, as the success of vaccination is clear. Vaccination is an old practice and has proved effective for numerous diseases. However, the arguments against vaccination remain dated and have proven to be unscientific,” noted Dr. Weerasinghe.  Addressing the same media briefing, Homagama Covid-19 Treatment Tertiary Hospital Consultant Physician Dr. Eranga Narangoda said that vaccination has helped in the reduction of both Covid-19 deaths and infections.  Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said on 26 September that it would be possible to pass legal provisions making Covid-19 vaccination compulsory if the need arises, reasoning that “although the people have a right to make decisions regarding their own life, there is also an issue if they oppose a decision that would stop the spread of the virus”.  According to the Presidential Secretariat’s “Vaccination Dashboard”, 79% of the population over the age of 20 years has been fully vaccinated with two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine, whilst 97% of the same population has received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.


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