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When it comes to vaccines - why are people talking about 'Targeting marginalised groups' ?

Vaccines are intended to harm disadvantaged groups or poor countries.

In general, conspiracy theories tend to become more prominent when people feel threatened or fear a loss of control, because the theories allow people to cope with threatening events by focusing blame on a set of presumed conspirators.

Not everyone who engages in conspiratorial rhetoric is a firm believer in a conspiracy. Sometimes conspiracy theories are used as a rhetorical tool to escape inconvenient conclusions. For example, some people will allude to a conspiracy among scientists to explain away a scientific consensus they oppose, such as climate change, but the same people will not do so when a scientific consensus is of no relevance to their personal attitudes. In general, debunking is easier with individuals who adopt conspiratorial rhetoric only for convenience.

However, some individuals are deeply committed to their conspiratorial beliefs, which may have become part of their identity. Debunking is much more challenging with those committed individuals. People who are committed believers tend to be devoted to more than one conspiracy theory.

Belief in multiple conspiracies (that COVID is a hoax and that the government is hiding people killed by the vaccine) is therefore a good indicator of beliefs that are probably deeply held. In addition, people who are committed believers also tend to exhibit other diagnostic attitudes and attributes. For example, people high on narcissism are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories, as are people who engage in magical thinking (e.g., claim to have experience with the supernatural) and are high in Machiavellianism (and hence low in trust).

The variables that drive belief in conspiracy theories tend to be emotional in nature and revolved around fears and a sense of loss of control.

This theme suggests that vaccines are part of a conspiracy that targets certain ethnic groups and marginalises them, regarding vaccines as a ‘war’ or ‘plot’ against these groups.

Is there any truth in it?

Poorer countries and minority groups are often marginalised and experience health inequalities. Therefore, it is understandable that people would want to be alert to such inequalities and defend their right to receive high-quality medical treatments, regardless of their ethnicity, gender or country of birth.

What could I say to someone fixed on this belief?

Dialogue between patients and healthcare professionals is most productive if it is guided by empathy, and an opportunity for the patient to affirm the reasons underlying their attitudes and to express understanding for that. That’s why it is important to understand the attitude roots behind people’s overt opinions. To affirm a person’s underlying attitude root does not mean we need to agree with the specifics of their argument. For example, we can acknowledge that:

Poorer countries and minority groups are often marginalised and experience health inequalities. Therefore, it is understandable that people would want to be alert to such inequalities and defend their right to receive high-quality medical treatments, regardless of their ethnicity, gender or country of birth.



Having set the stage through this (partial) affirmation, we can then proceed to correct the patient’s particular misconception.

Vaccines were developed to protect from diseases—the burden of which often falls disproportionately on poor countries or marginalised populations. States have an obligation to ensure that vaccines are safe, accessible and affordable to all who need them. This is particularly relevant to people in vulnerable situations who often face barriers in accessing health services, goods and facilities. Vaccines have led to a decrease in deaths and severe illness saved more lives than any other medical invention. The World Health Organization has repeatedly called for greater equity in vaccine distribution to empower lower income countries with protection from disease.

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MISINFORMATION & Conspiracist ideation

In general, conspiracy theories tend to become more prominent when people feel threatened or fear a loss of control, because the theories allow people to cope with threatening events by focusing blame on a set of presumed conspirators.

 

Not everyone who engages in conspiratorial rhetoric is a firm believer in a conspiracy. Sometimes conspiracy theories are deployed as a rhetorical tool to escape inconvenient conclusions. For example, some people selectively appeal to a conspiracy among scientists to explain away a scientific consensus they oppose, such as climate change, but the same people will not do so when a scientific consensus is of no relevance to their personal attitudes. In general, debunking is easier with individuals who deploy conspiratorial rhetoric only for convenience.

 

However, some individuals are deeply committed to their conspiratorial beliefs, which may have become part of their identity. Debunking is much more challenging with those committed individuals. People who are committed believers tend to be devoted to more than one conspiracy theory. Belief in multiple conspiracies (that COVID is a hoax and that the government is hiding people killed by the vaccine) is therefore a good indicator of beliefs that are probably deeply held. In addition, people who are committed believers also tend to exhibit other diagnostic attitudes and attributes. For example, people high on narcissism are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories, as are people who engage in magical thinking (e.g., claim to have experience with the supernatural) and are high in Machiavellianism (and hence low in trust). The variables that drive belief in conspiracy theories tend to be emotional in nature and revolved around fears and a sense of loss of control.