Changing the pandemic communication paradigm in TT.

20220130

This article was published in the Guardian Media TT of Sunday 2022 01 30

To solve any problem, one must first define its elements before acting. Therefore, it should be clear to more sober minds that solving complex crises such as TT’s current economic position or the pandemic, will take time. Furthermore, the problems cannot be solved by either by populist slogans or a single strategy. Such problems require rigour, competence, sacrifice, patience. Patience from citizens to allow the measures time to work, patience by policy makers to maintain course.

Behavioral sciences assume people make rational choices. But people are motivated to act in many ways which advertisers (politicians) thrive on. From the beginning of the pandemic, medical staff, epidemiologists, and government ministers presented graphs and statistics on the assumption that people would act rationally and do the right thing. But social distancing measures, “quarantining”, limiting contact with loved ones are deeply at odds with the human need for social contact. Indeed, it was surprising that citizens were so compliant.

Ignoring culture and emotion, there are many reasons why sensible suggestions such as working from home, internet-based home schooling, and self-quarantining etc. are not always practical. Home situations vary greatly across socioeconomic groups. There may not be enough rooms or separate bathrooms in the home to facilitate quarantining, Internet connect speeds vary greatly between geographic regions or there may be no home internet connections, or not enough computers to ensure that everyone has one when needed. Also. most jobs require the person’s presence at the jobsite. Nor did all teachers adjust their teaching styles to adapt to the new medium.

The same is true of vaccine hesitancy. After two years, it is important to get children back into school and parents to jobsite. Last week a few countries, Denmark, Ireland, Holland, and England, announced the removal of all restrictions. Others like, the USA, Canada, France and in our backyard, Grenada and St Vincent have imposed measures to require the unvaccinated to vaccinate as a condition of employment at government offices.

This week a survey report on the vaccine hesitancy in six territories (including TT) was published by its sponsors, USAID, UNICEF, and CADRES. The survey found that 62% of the respondents were vaccinated with 38% unvaccinated. Most persons surveyed did not choose their vaccinations but took what was available. There were varying levels of initial hesitancy and the primary reasons for the hesitancy were the lack of trust in the speed with which the vaccines were developed and uncertainty regarding its contents. There was a similar level of concern over the long-term effects. Medical advice and personal research worked best to change minds. It was also noted that most of the vaccine information came from government sources.

Most people supported vaccine mandates (compulsory vaccination) though not for all age groups, younger children in particular. Unsurprisingly, those supporting the vaccines tended to be vaccinated themselves.?The unvaccinated tended to be younger (under 50) with a concentration in the 18-30 age group and more likely to have secondary school level education.

It is probable that as the unvaccinated were younger that they were less likely to be permanently employed or in institutional employment. Further, the preferred modes of communication for the unvaccinated were television/ cable and what’s app. Whilst most wanted more information, in Barbados and TT, many unvaccinated respondents felt that the use of popular personalities was unhelpful or distracting.

These are basic building blocks on which the communication strategy must be reformulated. Even though vaccine hesitancy was present in all age groups, it appears that the most resistant are the relatively young. Further, officialdom in the form of government medical experts, epidemiologists and the like cannot be the sole, or primary sources of information and outreach. Now, the information disseminated must be nuanced and distinguish between the effects on the vaccinated as distinct from the unvaccinated.

More importantly, the approach of using a few medical personnel and ministers to dictate the information from a platform has run its course. To date this has been a purely government affair which has ignored the medical care frontline and first line responders, family and general practitioners. The longer the pandemic continues the greater the need for a wider, more diffused exercise with community roots. It is time the political directorate understands that its role is facilitation, not exhortation.?