Disbelieve in vaccines as a result of false news

Meanwhile, health authorities consistently stress that collective immunity cannot be achieved even through vaccines, unless most citizens are vaccinated.

The research results of the Institute for Strategic Dialogue have revealed that a large number of citizens still believe in conspiracy theories concerning the origin of the virus.

Emir Hasanovic, of Radio Free Europe, says that the research that the Institute for Strategic Dialogue has carried out, reveals that 80 percent of respondents have claimed that at least once in a week they are faced with false news.

In view of this fact, Hasanovic adds, it is understandable that citizens do not have sufficient confidence in vaccines, either in the vaccine process.

Fifty percent of surveyed citizens have indicated that they do not want to take the vaccine from which 38 percent believe vaccines are harmful, since 29 percent feel that vaccines do not work at all. At a moment when our country does not have enough vaccines, we conclude that even if we had, it would be in vain, because for the achievement of collective immunity, it needs a much higher percentage of citizens to be vaccinated”, says Emir Hasanovic.

Even polls that the Macedonian Centre for International Co-operation has conducted show that only 56.4 percent of citizens will likely accept the vaccine against COVID-19.

Research results have shown that there are differences in ethnic affiliation, since 73.1 percent of Albanians have indicated they will accept the vaccine, against 51 percent of Macedonians.

Based on research, “CO VID-19: A year of fear, expectation, and desire to return to normality”, carried out by the Macedonian Centre for Co-operation, 73.5 per cent of citizens say that the Government of Northern Macedonia has not reacted properly to the timely supply of vaccines against the COVID-19 virus.

The amme say that the information on the side effects being shown after taking the vaccine against the new coronary, which in certain cases has resulted from blood clots, has aroused in humans a scepticism and fear of taking the vaccine, in particular when it comes to vaccine produced by AstraZeneca.

It's a lot of fear in citizens not to experience blood clots or they'll have an unwanted reaction. Part of the citizens for this reason say they will expect others to be vaccinated and see how they fare and then decide whether they will be vaccinated or not COVID-19” says of Radio Free Europe, Lilija Colakva Dervisova, chairman of the Mother Medical Association. She adds that the case of 28-year-old from Northern Macedonia, which had complications, respectively, trumpet shows in its eyes after accepting AstraZeneca's vaccine in Serbia, has stirred even more fears among citizens to accept the vaccine, even though its situation stabilised immediately after the hospital extension.

Health Minister Venko Filipce said that already 20 percent of the terms specified for receiving vaccines have been cancelled, as citizens have not been put forward at the point for vaccine, without providing details for the reasons for the annulment.

Minister Filipce said there have been only two cases of complications at the vaccine point, though it is not about vaccine, but tension before accession.

In social networks, meanwhile, more and more present are anti-imoculation campaigns: “those who choose the vaccine choose death”; “If you want to stay alive and healthy, don't vaccinate with any vaccine”.

But from the Public Health Center, they continue to urge citizens not to fall prey to uncontrolled information but to rely solely on official health organ information for the reliability of immunization by any vaccine approved by the American and European drug organization.

So far, over 35,000 citizens have been vaccinated in northern Macedonia, with one or both doses of vaccine against COVID-19.

The first have been vaccinated by health workers, who have direct contact with the infected with COVID-19.

With 24 thousand doses of AstraZeneca vaccine, provided through the COVAX programme, the vaccine of people over 60 is under way.

While 20 thousand doses of the Russian vaccine Sputnik V are under way, the vaccine of the virus's most exposed categories, such as security members, workers in gardens, public transport drivers and media employees, are under way.