Rzymski Piotr, Borkowski Leszek, Drąg Marcin, Flisiak Robert, Jemielity Jacek, Krajewski Jacek, Mastalerz-Migas Agnieszka, Matyja Andrzej, Pyrć Krzysztof, Simon Krzysztof, Sutkowski Michał, Wysocki Jacek, Zajkowska Joanna, Fal Andrzej
Department of Environmental Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-806 Poznań, Poland.
Integrated Science Association (ISA), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), 60-806 Poznań, Poland.
Vaccines (Basel). 2021 Feb 1;9(2):109. doi: 10.3390/vaccines9020109.
COVID-19 vaccinations are about to begin in various countries or are already ongoing. This is an unprecedented operation that is also met with a loud response from anti-vaccine communities-currently using all available channels to manipulate public opinion. At the same time, the strategy to educate on vaccinations, explain their mechanism of action, and build trust in science is subdued in different world parts. Such actions should go much beyond campaigns promoting the COVID-19 vaccines solely on the information provided by the health institutions and national authorities. In this paper, actions provided by independent expert groups needed to counteract the anti-vaccine propaganda and provide scientific-based information to the general public are offered. These actions encompass organizing groups continuously communicating science on COVID-19 vaccines to the general public; tracking and tackling emerging and circulating fake news; and equipping celebrities and politicians with scientific information to ensure the quality of messages they communicate, as well as public letters, and statements of support for vaccination by healthcare workers, recognized scientists, VIPs, and scientific societies; and no tolerance to false and manipulated claims on vaccination spread via traditional and social media as well as by health professionals, scientists, and academics. These activities should be promptly implemented worldwide, regardless of the current status and availability of the COVID-19 vaccine in a particular region. If we are about to control the pandemic for the sake of public benefit, it is high time to collectively speak out as academic and medical societies with support from decision-makers. Otherwise, the battle will be lost to those who stand against scientific evidence while offering no feasible solution to the problem.
新冠疫苗接种即将在各国展开或已经在进行中。这是一项史无前例的行动，同时也遭到了反疫苗群体的强烈抵制——他们目前正利用一切可用渠道操纵舆论。与此同时，在世界不同地区，关于疫苗接种的教育、解释其作用机制以及建立对科学的信任的策略都较为薄弱。此类行动不应仅仅局限于依靠卫生机构和国家当局提供的信息来开展推广新冠疫苗的活动。本文提出了独立专家小组为抵制反疫苗宣传并向公众提供基于科学的信息所需采取的行动。这些行动包括组织团体持续向公众传播关于新冠疫苗的科学知识；追踪和处理新出现及传播的虚假新闻；为名人和政治家提供科学信息，以确保他们所传达信息的质量，以及医护人员、知名科学家、贵宾和科学协会发出的支持疫苗接种的公开信和声明；对通过传统媒体、社交媒体以及卫生专业人员、科学家和学者传播的关于疫苗接种的虚假和被操纵的说法零容忍。无论特定地区新冠疫苗的现状和可得性如何，这些活动都应在全球迅速开展。如果我们要为了公众利益控制疫情，现在正是学术和医学团体在决策者支持下集体发声的时候。否则，这场战斗将输给那些反对科学证据且对问题提不出可行解决方案的人。
