KT edit: UAE leaders show the way

What can be a bigger surety than this for people who harbour doubts on the efficacy of vaccination.

It is when leaders walk the talk that people truly follow. At a time when vaccine hesitancy is a serious issue worldwide, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has set a precedence in the country by receiving a dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. This act has also sent a message that in science we trust. Sheikh Mohammed joins a number of ministers who have already taken the jab. Health experts and public policymakers the world over are relying on the promise of a vaccine to boost immunity against the Sars-Cov-2 virus. The highly infectious viral disease has already infected more than 47.5 million people globally, and claimed lives of more than 1.2 million.

While there is no data readily available for the UAE, people in more than 90 per cent of the countries either delay or refuse to have vaccines to boost their immunity against preventable diseases. Mistrust in science, which is often fuelled by misinformation floating on social media, is to blame for this worrying trend. But notably in the UAE, the government’s National Policy on Vaccinations promotes collective solidarity against diseases that can be controlled or cured. This should prompt more people to volunteer for the trial phase of the vaccine and also get one administered when it is out for public in general. The leadership has taken the lead. What can be a bigger surety than this for people who harbour doubts on the efficacy of vaccination.