Jahnavi Sarma
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Written By: Jahnavi Sarma | Published : November 17, 2020 2:33 PM IST
Under an UN initiative, over 100 scientists have joined hands to tackle the issue of misinformation around COVID-19 vaccines and build confidence by busting myths and sharing information on the safety and effectiveness of vaccines via the social media.
With many prospective COVID-19 vaccines in final stages of trials, it has emerged that many people have doubts in their minds regarding the efficacy of vaccines against the novel coronavirus. The fact that there are many myths and misinformation doing the rounds contribute to this too. Many organisations have sought to dispel these misconceptions but there are still many who are wary. In fact, a recent survey in India revealed that around 65 per cent of Indians may not be willing to take the vaccine when it is made available to them. This is a worrying trend that is reflected around the world. But now, thanks to an initiative undertaken by the United Nations, people can address their fears directly to scientists and have all their questions answered.
Under an UN initiative, over 100 scientists have joined hands to tackle the issue of misinformation around COVID-19 vaccines and build confidence by busting myths and sharing information on the safety and effectiveness of vaccines via the social media. The UN has collaborated with The Vaccine Confidence Project at the University of London to undertake Team Halo, an initiative which aims to counter the misinformation around COVID-19 vaccines.
Globally, the initiative is supported by scientists who are involved in the race of coronavirus vaccine development across the world's top institutes like Imperial College London, Harvard Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, University of Barcelona and many others. In India, over 22 scientists have joined Team Halo from renowned institutes such as Institute of Medical Sciences and Sum Hospital; PGIMER, Nizams Institute of Medical Sciences, IIT Indore, Christian Medical College, SRM Research Institute, and Deep Children's Hospital and Research Centre.
"At my institution, we are studying how COVID-19 reinfection operates and I am excited about opening up the story of the search for COVID-19 vaccines for the public," Gagandeep Kang, Professor of Microbiology at Christian Medical College Vellore, said in a statement. "People want to know about the science and stories behind the headlines, and I'm delighted to be experimenting with social media to make serious points in creative ways," he added.
Team Halo India will also allow scientists to respond to questions from the public and directly counter vaccine misinformation and rumours spreading in parts of the internet. Besides India, Team Halo aims to highlight the work undertaken by scientists in the UK, the US, South Africa, Qatar, UAE, France, Spain, Peru, Canada and Brazil and create a platform for communication between the scientists working on Covid-19 vaccines and the citizens of these countries. Collectively they are producing creative, social media-friendly videos on topics such as COVID-19 vaccine science, personal experiences and reactions to COVID-19 vaccine news items. Scientists participating in Team Halo are keen to emphasise the global nature of their work and recognise the contribution made by thousands around the world.
(With inputs from IANS)
