As much of the world desperately struggles to access COVID-19 vaccines, the Unites States marinates in skepticism and misinformation.

Despite the availability of safe, free and readily available vaccines, too many Americans are still unvaccinated and that weakens immunity for everyone even those who are vaccinated but especially for children who are too young to be vaccinated, health authorities say.

In a recent panel discussion hosted by the National Press Foundation, Dr. Georges C. Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, said, “The easy work is done. Now we have to root out the misinformation.”

Benjamin said some of the vaccine hesitancy grew from the speed and constant publicity about the vaccine development.

“This vaccine was debated and developed in a fishbowl,” he said. “The public does not normally see that.”
Going from concept to a usable vaccine that’s highly safe and effective was a remarkable achievement. Disinformation, knowingly sharing false information, is undermining public confidence, he said, pointing to the Evangelical community and Trump voters.

About 12 to 13% of the population is highly skeptical and probably will never be convinced of the safety and value of the vaccine. Other unvaccinated people are still open to the truth and can be moved by sound, scientific, fact-based information. Those people should be the focus of public health outreach, he said.

Among trusted messengers addressing vaccine hesitancy are physicians, nurses, religious leaders and barbers, Benjamin said.

Skepticism among the Black community is based on historical injustice and that community can be convinced. Many unvaccinated people have been unable to schedule the shots.

“We can change that and reach out to them providing ease of access,” he said.

Another hesitant group is composed of young people who were initially told they were at low risk. But now the delta variant is preying on all the unvaccinated.

Also speaking on the panel with Benjamin was Dr. Rebecca Weintraub, assistant professor of global health and social medicine at Harvard Medical School.

“Our young, unvaccinated are at risk,” she said, “and there will be additional variants to come.”

Benjamin urged people who remain skeptical to access the CDC website: www.cdc.gov. His organization has teamed up with the Ad Council on a site: www.getvaccineanswers.org.

Meanwhile, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued recommendations calling for universal masking in schools for everyone over age 2 this fall, even if they have been vaccinated. Vaccine mandates may ultimately be necessary, the association stated.

“We need to prioritize getting children back into schools alongside their friends and their teachers — and we all play a role in making sure it happens safely,” said Dr. Sonja O’Leary, chairwoman of the AAP Council on School Health. “The pandemic has taken a heartbreaking toll on children, and it’s not just their education that has suffered but their mental, emotional and physical health. Combining layers of protection that include vaccinations, masking and clean hands hygiene will make in-person learning safe and possible for everyone.”

A statement issued by AAP included: “Given what we know about low rates of in-school transmission when proper prevention measures are used, together with the availability of effective vaccines for those age 12 years and up, the benefits of in-person school outweigh the risks in almost all circumstances.”

Despite these recommendations, many schools won’t be able to require masks for the coming school year. South Carolina, for example, has prohibited districts from mandating masks for students or staff. In Texas, districts can’t require anyone, including parents and other visitors, to wear masks. Other states are requiring the opposite. In Washington, schools must mandate masks or face coverings indoors regardless of vaccination status.

Dr. Damon Arnold, former director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, spoke via zoom at a recent meeting of the Peoria chapter of the NAACP.

While he understands hesitancy, especially based on historical medical mistreatment of the African American population, he urges people to get vaccinated. He said the COVID vaccines are among the most studied vaccines in the history of mankind.

Dorit Reiss, law professor at University of California, Hastings College of Law in San Francisco, told The New York Times, “A vaccine mandate is always a political battle.”

Dr. Sean O’Leary, a pediatric infectious disease specialist in Colorado, told the Times, “We are vaccinating more people very day, but we are not on a trajectory to be able to interrupt transmission by the fall. Unless we can do that, just about everyone I know in the field is very concerned about a fall surge.”