COVID-19 Vaccination Rollout:Aspects of Acceptability in South Africa

• DOI: 10.20944/preprints202208.0009.v1
• Publication Date: 2022-08-02T06:47:51Z
• Authors: Bent Steenberg; Nellie Myburgh; Andile Sokani; Nonhlanhla Ngwenya; Portia Mutevedzi; Shabir Madhi
• Keywords: Misinformation; Denial

Unprecedented in scale, immense COVID-19 immunization programmes have been rolled out globally. This article explores aspects of hypothetical vaccine acceptability Soweto, South Africa, shortly before such vaccines became available. Whereas acceptance was normative, this has not translated into uptake today, which remains concerningly low especially Soweto. For that reason, we mobilise anthropological concepts to analyse acceptance, hesitancy, and denial, respectively, gauge understand public proclivity inoculate. We find COVID-19’s haphazard mediatization generated a ‘field suspicion’ towards authorities vaccination, which, amplified by dis- misinformation, fostered othering, denial considerably. It paramount during vaccination rollouts unveil address detrimental confidence selectivity, lower-income groups for underlying, context-specific cultural, spiritual, historical, socioeconomic reasons. Appropriate mediazation alongside debunking counterfactual claims is crucial driving forward immunization.