‘Vaccine Hesitancy’ Is 1 of WHO’s Top 10 Global Threats—but Flu Shot Data Tells a Different Story (+Graphs)

‘Vaccine Hesitancy’ Is 1 of WHO’s Top 10 Global Threats—but Flu Shot Data Tells a Different Story (+Graphs)
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Xiaoxu Sean Lin
Updated:
In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) proposed 10 threats to global health, such as air pollution, non-communicable diseases, global influenza pandemic, Ebola and other high-threat pathogens, weak primary health care, and HIV. Among them, vaccine hesitancy was also mentioned, which many people might find surprising.

The elevation of this issue to a global health threat is a rather political approach. From this perspective, it should not be acceptable to the public. Just as consumers evaluate the quality of the products they purchase, people want to know the vaccines they are getting are good in quality and effective.  If a vaccine is proven to be effective while there are minimal side effects, most people wouldn’t hesitate to get vaccinated.

Xiaoxu Sean Lin is an assistant professor in the Biomedical Science Department at Feitian College in Middletown, New York. He is also a frequent analyst and commentator for Epoch Media Group, VOA, and RFA. He is a veteran who served as a U.S. Army microbiologist and also a member of Committee on the Present Danger: China.
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