We don’t even have a #COVID19 vaccine & so many have already declared they will never get one when available. This isn’t a surprise, given how much anti-vaccine sentiment has grown. But seems the approach most public health institutions take is to just ignore & hope it goes away.

But anyone on social media can see this approach doesn’t work. Anti-vaccine groups are organized and dedicated to spreading false information designed to sow doubt/fear. They know how to get clicks, likes and shares.

We need online public health campaigns to foster trust in vaccines, demonstrate how well they work & how safe they are. This pandemic caught us unprepared, but while we wait for a vaccine, maybe we can find a way to finally address the misinformation & build public trust.

And it should go without saying, but any #COVID19 vaccine has to be studied rigorously and shouldn’t be given to the population before safety/efficacy trials are done. (But apparently it does need to be said!)

There’s been discussion about whether a future #COVID19 vaccine will be mandatory. This is contentious & many experts argue mandating isn’t the best approach. But seems possible to maximize uptake by using transparency & good messaging to get people on board. Let’s hope so.