Just 14.2% of Albanians believe that vaccines are effective, according to a survey of 284,381 individuals in 149 countries, published in The Lancet. Only 26.06% of Albanians felt that vaccines were important, the lowest figure out of all countries surveyed.
The survey found that vaccine hesitancy has increased between 2015 and 2019 due to “misinformation or communication of bad science”. The increase in delays or refusal to vaccinate is coming from a lack of trust in the importance, safety and effectiveness of vaccines, combined with ongoing assistance issues.
It also found that religious individuals tended to have less trust in vaccines than non-religious individuals.
Overall, confidence in vaccines improved in EU Member States including Finland, France, Ireland and Italy.
The study is the largest of its kind, specifically looking at vaccine confidence in a number of countries over a certain period of time.
The World Health Organisation noted that vaccine hesitancy is one of the top ten threats to global health alongside climate change.
While no vaccine is 100% safe, vaccines are one of the safest medical procedures that someone can undergo. Vaccines go through intensive, rigorous testing plus continuous post-market observations, making them the most safety tested medical intervention in the world.
Fake news and the manipulation of facts, science, studies, and evidence has been widespread in recent years. The anti-vax movements propagation of false information that vaccines cause autism, include fetus cells, or contain elemental mercury and aluminium, have led to many incorrectly thinking they are unsafe. Furthermore, the incorrect diagnosis of vaccine injuries based on anecdotal information and the misinterpretation of inserts has caused further distrust.
