Vaccination Should Not a Be Compulsory
On January 13, 2021, the covid-19 vaccination in Indonesia has started to be carried out with the first person being injected is the president of Indonesia. The vaccine for covid-19 itself has been dreamed of by the Indonesian people since this virus has infected many Indonesians. With the number of covid-19 cases that have surpassed 1 million, the government has finally obliged the public to take vaccines to maintain immunity. However, it turns out that after the vaccine arrived in Indonesia, the public's interest actually decreased. One of the causes of this decline is due to the obligation to inject this vaccine. There are several reasons why the government does not need to oblige the injection of the covid-19 vaccine.
First, the public will increasingly doubt its effectiveness. The application of the vaccination in Indonesia has been running for 2 months, but since the initial arrival of this vaccine in Indonesia, the government has immediately issued a mandate to oblige all citizens to be injected with vaccines. Of course, people need a detailed explanation in advance about this vaccine, because there are still many people who still do not believe in its safety and efficacy. Giving mandatory to vaccines, especially with punishments, actually lowers people's interest and at the end there are more people against vaccines. As a result, the anti-vaccine society will increasingly encourage other people to not to participate in vaccination.
Next, socializing the benefits of vaccines is better than mandating vaccination. Instead of obliging vaccination, the government should first socialize about the benefits of vaccines, vaccine safety and the others positive side of vaccines. This method is done to increase public confidence in this government program. For this reason, instead of suddenly making a mandatory vaccine policy with threatening to impose punishment, it would be better if the government disseminates the benefits of vaccines gradually to open people's minds and make people aware of how important this program is for all the people. As stated by epidemiologist from Griffith University Australia, Dicky Budiman, quoted on the katadata.co.id page, what the government should do is build persuasive communication to the community instead of obliging and threatening to impose punishment. Also, the socialization of covid prevention, such as wearing masks, maintaining distance and washing hands, must also be carried out intensively so that those who refuse vaccines can still participate in preventing the spread of the virus through these methods.
Last, the government should better prioritize people who are vulnerable to Covid-19. Producing a vaccine is not an easy thing, it takes a long and complex process to arrive at the vaccine needed. For this reason, it is better to use these vaccines to people who are more in need and who are very vulnerable to transmission of this virus, such as medical personnel or all people who work in hospitals or health centres and also citizens in the areas where the rate of Covid cases is very high, than on obliging to all citizens of the country. ve Dub, a medical anthropologist at Laval University, quoted in the vice.com page, also saying that mass production of a vaccine would take a very long time, so if it was mandatory for everyone to use it, the amount would not be sufficient. So, it is better used for residents who are in dire need. That way, the use of vaccines will be more optimal.
Vaccination is indeed one way to prevent transmission of this dangerous virus. However, rather than obliging it, especially with penalties for those who refuse, it would be better if the government disseminates the benefits of vaccines and prevention of covid-19 transmission in a way that is easier for the public to understand. This method is so that people can slowly open their minds and volunteer to be willing to participate in efforts to suppress the covid case in Indonesia. If the method of asking people for vaccines is a little forcing and using punishment, then the community will block their intention to want to support the program.
Sources:
Iskana, Febrina Ratna. (2021). Epidemiologi Menilai Ancaman Wajib Vaksini Covid-19 Kontraproduktif. www.katadata.co.id. Retrieved on March 4,Â
Zoledziowski, Anya. (2020). Haruskah Vaksin Covid-19 Kelak Diwajibkan Pada Kaum Anti-Vaksin?. www.vice.com. Retrieved on March 4, 2021
