COVID-19 Vaccination Rollout: Aspects of Acceptability in South Africa
Bent Steenberg,
Nellie Myburgh,
Andile Sokani,
Nonhlanhla Ngwenya,
Portia Mutevedzi,
Shabir A. Madhi
Affiliations
Bent Steenberg
South African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown 2193, South Africa
Nellie Myburgh
South African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown 2193, South Africa
Andile Sokani
South African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown 2193, South Africa
Nonhlanhla Ngwenya
South African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown 2193, South Africa
Portia Mutevedzi
South African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown 2193, South Africa
Shabir A. Madhi
South African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown 2193, South Africa
Unprecedented in scale, immense COVID-19 immunization programs have been rolled out globally. This article explores aspects of hypothetical vaccine acceptability in Soweto, South Africa, shortly before such vaccines became available. Whereas hypothetical acceptance was normative, this has not translated into uptake today, which remains concerningly low in South Africa, especially in Soweto. For that reason, we mobilize anthropological concepts to analyze acceptance, hesitancy, and denial to gauge public proclivity to inoculate. We found that COVID-19′s haphazard mediatization generated a ‘field of suspicion’ towards authorities and vaccination, which, amplified by dis- and misinformation, fostered othering, hesitancy, and denialism considerably. Further, we demonstrate that stated intent to immunize cannot be used to predict outcome. It remains paramount during vaccination rollouts to unveil and address aspects detrimental to vaccine confidence and selectivity, especially in lower-income groups for underlying context-specific cultural, spiritual, historical, and socioeconomic reasons. Appropriate mediazation alongside a debunking of counterfactual claims is crucial in driving forward immunization.