Solving for vaccine confidence in the Middle East ?

By the end of 2020, 80 million Covid-19 cases and 1.7 million deaths were reported. During the same time, countries all over the world were producing, testing and approving vaccines against Covid-19, pointing to the vaccines as the only way to move forward towards public and global recovery. Half a year later, why is lack of confidence in the vaccine still in the way? And what is the world doing about it?

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The World Health Organization (WHO) defines vaccine hesitancy as a “delay in acceptance or refusal of safe vaccines despite availability of vaccine services.” A number of surveys show that the Middle East is behind in vaccine acceptance rates when compared to the rest of the world.?

In Egypt, where the vaccination rate is currently at 4%, more than half of those surveyed in March said they were not sure about taking a vaccine. Hesitancy also shows among respondents in Kuwait (77%) and Jordan (72%), while 64% in Iraq said they’ll wait before getting the shot.

But Why?

When looking at the MENA region, the highest rates of vaccination can be found in Gulf countries, with UAE, Bahrain and Qatar among the top 10 countries worldwide when it comes to Covid vaccination rates. Yet the Middle East and North Africa as a region still faces higher hesitancy to get the shot. With more vaccines getting licensed, approved and made locally, some still hold on to skepticism.?

That being said, conviction is not the only problem behind lower vaccination rates in some MENA countries, other problems like socioeconomic disadvantages, long waiting time for appointments and access are at play. Access to vaccines might not be exclusively tied to vaccine supply, but whether a person can reach a vaccination facility, take time off work, or be able to take time to recover.?

Vaccine hesitancy needs to be addressed on different fronts, studies show that people expressing skepticism towards Covid vaccines are more likely to show the same hesitancy towards other vaccines. Other factors in play might be level of education and age. Some lack of confidence in the vaccine is built on a fear of side-effects and misplaced concerns about reinfection.

Misinformation played a big role in fueling vaccine hesitancy. YouTube removed more than 900,000 videos spreading misleading information about coronavirus since February 2020.?

How the media reported on vaccines also make a difference in how the public perceives it. In countries where politicians were negative in their views of a vaccine, public skepticism increased, the recent Trust in Covid-19 Vaccines research by global media intelligence provider CARMA showed, unlike in countries where politicians were consistently positive about the vaccine efficacy.??

Incentives vs. Mandate?

In a recent episode of their podcast No Stupid Questions, research psychologist Angela Duckworth and Freakonomics author Stephen Dubner looked at different incentives that have been used to increase vaccine rates. Incentives that implied care have worked before to encourage people to get their flu vaccine, a message that said “a shot was reserved for you” was effective in getting people to take action.?

What about getting people to want to get the vaccine for a reward? US donut chain Krispy Kreme gave away 1.5 million free donuts to proven vaccinated customers. It did not stop there, with a filled vaccination card, companies offered loads of free stuff including free event tickets, food, or even cash. In the UAE, vaccinated residents were given hotel offers, discounts on driving classes, free coffee, free access to some fitness centers and a free Uber ride.?

On the flip side, beyond free stuff, vaccines are becoming a requirement to resume activities. Being vaccinated is officially a condition to access some public places in some countries. Kuwait recently announced that showing a confirmed vaccination status on its health app is a must to be allowed in malls, restaurants, gyms and salons. Saudi Arabia will also only allow vaccinated people back into workplaces and on public transportation starting August. Abu Dhabi announced the same for some public places, including schools, from August 20.

• A study surveyed more than 36,000 Arabs within and out of Arab countries to measure the level of Covid vaccine hesitancy and the reasons behind it. Read more here.??
• DW’s Cathrin Schaer dives into reasons why people in Middle Eastern countries are not rushing to get the vaccine. Read more here.
• UN: Combating misinformation online is key to tackle hesitancy and successfully move with inoculation campaigns against Covid. Read more here.
• Wondering how to talk to someone about vaccine hesitancy? Cleveland Clinic has some tips. Read more here.

What do you think are the best tactics to increase public confidence in Covid vaccines? Do you think incentives are effective as a motivation? Share your thoughts in the comments below.?