scholarly journals Attitudes on voluntary and mandatory vaccination against COVID-19: Evidence from Germany

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. e0248372
Author(s):  
Daniel Graeber ◽  
Christoph Schmidt-Petri ◽  
Carsten Schröder
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Vaccination Coverage ◽  
Herd Immunity ◽  
Psychological Characteristics ◽  
Approval Rate ◽  
The World ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Mandatory Vaccination

Several vaccines against COVID-19 have now been developed and are already being rolled out around the world. The decision whether or not to get vaccinated has so far been left to the individual citizens. However, there are good reasons, both in theory as well as in practice, to believe that the willingness to get vaccinated might not be sufficiently high to achieve herd immunity. A policy of mandatory vaccination could ensure high levels of vaccination coverage, but its legitimacy is doubtful. We investigate the willingness to get vaccinated and the reasons for an acceptance (or rejection) of a policy of mandatory vaccination against COVID-19 in June and July 2020 in Germany based on a representative real time survey, a random sub-sample (SOEP-CoV) of the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP). Our results show that about 70 percent of adults in Germany would voluntarily get vaccinated against the coronavirus if a vaccine without side effects was available. About half of residents of Germany are in favor, and half against, a policy of mandatory vaccination. The approval rate for mandatory vaccination is significantly higher among those who would get vaccinated voluntarily (around 60 percent) than among those who would not get vaccinated voluntarily (27 percent). The individual willingness to get vaccinated and acceptance of a policy of mandatory vaccination correlates systematically with socio-demographic and psychological characteristics of the respondents. We conclude that as far as people’s declared intentions are concerned, herd immunity could be reached without a policy of mandatory vaccination, but that such a policy might be found acceptable too, were it to become necessary.

scholarly journals Vaccination Coverage for Routine Vaccines and Herd Immunity Levels against Measles and Pertussis in the World in 2019

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 256
Author(s):  
Pedro Plans-Rubió
Keyword(s):  
Vaccination Coverage ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Herd Immunity ◽  
World Health ◽  
Immunization Programs ◽  
National Immunization ◽  
The World ◽  
Measles Vaccination ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Health Organization

In 2012, the World Health Organization (WHO) established the Global Vaccine Action Plan with the objective to promote essential vaccinations in all countries and achieve at least 90% vaccination coverage for all routine vaccines by 2020. The study assessed the mean percentages of vaccination coverage in 2019 for 13 routine vaccines, vaccination coverage variation from 2015 to 2019, and herd immunity levels against measles and pertussis in 2019 in countries and regions of WHO. In 2019, the mean percentages of vaccination coverage were lower than 90% for 10 (78.9%) routine vaccines. The mean percentages of vaccination coverage also decreased from 2015 to 2019 for six (46.2%) routine vaccines. The prevalence of individuals with vaccine-induced measles immunity in the target measles vaccination population was 88.1%, and the prevalence of individuals with vaccine-induced pertussis immunity in the target pertussis vaccination population was 81.1%. Herd immunity against measles viruses with Ro = 18 was established in 63 (32.5%) countries but not established in any region. Herd immunity against pertussis agents was not established in any country and in any region of WHO. National immunization programs must be improved to achieve ≥90% vaccination coverage in all countries and regions. Likewise, it is necessary to achieve ≥95% vaccination coverage with two doses of measles vaccines and three doses of pertussis vaccines in all countries and regions.

scholarly journals Are the Objectives Proposed by the WHO for Routine Measles Vaccination Coverage and Population Measles Immunity Sufficient to Achieve Measles Elimination from Europe?

Vaccines ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 218
Author(s):  
Pedro Plans-Rubió
Keyword(s):  
World Health Organization ◽  
Vaccination Coverage ◽  
Herd Immunity ◽  
World Health ◽  
Measles Elimination ◽  
Reproduction Numbers ◽  
The World ◽  
Measles Vaccination ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Measles Vaccination Coverage

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) proposed two-dose measles vaccination coverage of at least 95% of the population and percentages of measles immunity in the population of 85%−95% in order to achieve measles elimination in Europe. The objectives of this study were: (1) to determine the measles vaccination coverage required to establish herd immunity against measles viruses with basic reproduction numbers (Ro) ranging from 6 to 60, and (2) to assess whether the objectives proposed by the WHO are sufficient to establish herd immunity against measles viruses. Methods: The herd immunity effects of the recommended objectives were assessed by considering the prevalence of protected individuals required to establish herd immunity against measles viruses with Ro values ranging from 6 to 60. Results: The study found that percentages of two-dose measles vaccination coverage from 88% to 100% could establish herd immunity against measles viruses with Ro from 6 to 19, assuming 95% measles vaccination effectiveness. The study found that the objective of 95% for two-dose measles vaccination coverage proposed by the WHO would not be sufficient to establish herd immunity against measles viruses with Ro ≥ 10, assuming 95% measles vaccination effectiveness. By contrast, a 97% measles vaccination coverage objective was sufficient to establish herd immunity against measles viruses, with Ro values from 6 to 13. Measles immunity levels recommended in individuals aged 1−4 years (≥85%) and 5−9 years (≥90%) might not be sufficient to establish herd immunity against most measles viruses, while those recommended in individuals aged 10 or more years (≥95%) could be sufficient to establish herd immunity against measles viruses with Ro values from 6 to 20. Conclusion: To meet the goal of measles elimination in Europe, it is necessary to achieve percentages of two-dose measles vaccination coverage of at least 97%, and measles immunity levels in children aged 1−9 years of at least 95%.

Covid-19 Vaccine Benefits and Concerns: Nigerian Perspectives

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olorunfemi Ayeotan
Keyword(s):  
Drug Resistance ◽  
Side Effects ◽  
Mortality Rate ◽  
Herd Immunity ◽  
World Health ◽  
The Poor ◽  
The World ◽  
Poor Understanding ◽  
The Government ◽  
Health Organization

The World Health Organization reported 162,184,263 cases of COVID-19 and about 3,364,446 deaths globally with Nigeria statistics at 165,709 reported cases and 2,066 deaths as of May 16 2021. This increase in reported cases and deaths globally can be drastically reduced when significant number of the population of the world becomes vaccinated. Researchers have developed different COVID-19 vaccines in a bid to control the morbidity and mortality rate as well as mitigate disease severity. Popular concerns about the vaccine in Nigeria and Africa ranges from effectiveness and side effects, poor understanding of the virus, lack of trust in the government, fear of the vaccine being used as a bioweapon designed by advanced countries to reduce the population of the poor ones by causing infertility, and lack of appropriate infrastructure for safe storage of the vaccine. Howbeit, the vaccine has been proven to be safe and effective. Nationwide delivery and acceptance will confer herd immunity and curb the menace of drug resistance.

scholarly journals Influenza vaccination coverage among emergency department personnel is associated with perception of vaccination and side effects, vaccination availability on site and the COVID-19 pandemic

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. e0260213
Author(s):  
Anna-Maria Stöckeler ◽  
Philipp Schuster ◽  
Markus Zimmermann ◽  
Frank Hanses
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Side Effects ◽  
Influenza Vaccination ◽  
Vaccination Coverage ◽  
Influenza Pandemic ◽  
Vaccination Rate ◽  
Assessment And Evaluation ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Mandatory Vaccination

Introduction Influenza is a major concern in hospitals, including the emergency department (ED), mainly because of a high risk for ED personnel to acquire and transmit the disease. Although influenza vaccination is recommended for health care workers, vaccination coverage is low. Methods This survey was conducted in the 2016/2017 and 2020/2021 influenza seasons. Questionnaires were sent to ED personnel in 12 hospitals in Bavaria, South-Eastern Germany. The response rates were 62% and 38% in 2016/2017 and 2020/2021, respectively. Data were compared between the two seasons as well as between vaccinated and not vaccinated respondents in 2020/2021. Results Significantly more ED personnel reported having been vaccinated in the 2020/2021 season. Factors associated with vaccination coverage (or the intention to get vaccinated) were profession (physician / medical student), having been vaccinated at least twice, the availability of an influenza vaccination on site (in the ED) as well as the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, significant differences in the assessment and evaluation of influenza, its vaccination side effects and ethical aspects were found between vaccinated and not vaccinated ED personnel in 2020/2021. Unvaccinated respondents estimated higher frequencies of almost all potential vaccination side effects, were less likely to accept lay-offs if employees would not come to work during an influenza pandemic and more likely to agree that work attendance should be an employee´s decision. Vaccinated participants instead, rather agreed that vaccination should be mandatory and were less likely to consider job changes in case of a mandatory vaccination policy. Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic might have contributed to a higher influenza vaccination rate among ED workers. Vaccination on site and interventions targeting the perception of influenza vaccination and its side effects may be most promising to increase the vaccination coverage among ED personnel.

Pre-Computed Flight Planning in Australia

1981 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 269-279
Author(s):  
P. C. S. Jackson
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Ground Control ◽  
Fuel Saving ◽  
Flight Planning ◽  
Weather Patterns ◽  
The World ◽  
The Individual

Various methods of standard, or stored, flight planning are in use throughout the world and have some degree of success, but on occasions they are too rigid to accommodate changes to routes or in weather patterns. A standard plan should eliminate the individual differences between manually computed flight plans by two pilots for the same route in identical aircraft. It should be in real time, flexible enough to allow route changes by ground control and capable of taking advantage of fuel-saving tail-wind components. All four requirements are inextricably linked.

scholarly journals Libertarianism and collective action: is there a libertarian case for mandatory vaccination?

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-74
Author(s):  
Charlie T Blunden
Keyword(s):  
Collective Action ◽  
Moral Obligation ◽  
Herd Immunity ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Coercive Measures ◽  
Collective Risk ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Mandatory Vaccination

In his paper ‘A libertarian case for mandatory vaccination’, Jason Brennan argues that even libertarians, who are very averse to coercive measures, should support mandatory vaccination to combat the harmful disease outbreaks that can be caused by non-vaccination. He argues that libertarians should accept the clean hands principle, which would justify mandatory vaccination. The principle states that there is a (sometimes enforceable) moral obligation not to participate in collectively harmful activities. Once libertarians accept the principle, they will be compelled to support mandatory vaccination. In my paper, I argue that the cases Brennan uses to justify this principle are disanalogous to the case of non-vaccination and that they are not compelling to libertarians. The cases Brennan offers can be explained by a libertarian using the individual sufficiency principle: which states that if an individual’s action is sufficient to cause harm, then there is a (sometimes enforceable) moral obligation not to carry out that action. I argue that this principle is more appropriate to Brennan’s examples, and more appealing to the libertarian, than the clean hands principle. In order to get libertarians to accept the clean hands principle, I present a modified version of one of Brennan’s cases that is analogous to the case of non-vaccination. Using this case, I argue that whether the clean hands principle will justify mandatory vaccination is dependent on whether the herd immunity rate in a given population is approaching a threshold after which a collective risk of harm will be imposed onto others.

Corona

2021 ◽  
pp. 204-211
Author(s):  
Mansha Sharma ◽  
Ajay Kumar Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Side Effects ◽  
Herd Immunity ◽  
The Body ◽  
New Normal ◽  
Social Wellbeing ◽  
The World ◽  
Different Shapes

Coronavirus has come up as the worst nightmare in the form of a pandemic for progressive sapiens in terms of health, wealth, prosperity, and social wellbeing. To date, coronavirus has mutated to seven different shapes evolving into various variants. The main deliberation of catching the disease is carelessness and negligence of the citizens, and in developing countries like India, population and illiteracy makes it even more difficult to control the disease. However, immunity can be the superhero in fighting against the virus that invades the host. Although a strong immunity is important to fight the disease, the symptoms show at a later stage by the body of a human with a stronger immunity and cases are getting critical in this case. After a long struggle, scientists have come up with vaccines that are 90% efficient and show some side effects. The world is expected to function only if ‘herd immunity' is achieved, but it is expected that wearing masks would be the new normal.

New walls to keep the bad out: populism and the totalitarian psyche

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 120-130
Author(s):  
Coline Covington
Keyword(s):  
Cold War ◽  
Balance Of Power ◽  
Berlin Wall ◽  
Group Solidarity ◽  
Freedom Of Movement ◽  
Psychological Understanding ◽  
Psychic Development ◽  
The World ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Cold War

The Berlin Wall came down on 9 November 1989 and marked the end of the Cold War. As old antagonisms thawed a new landscape emerged of unification and tolerance. Censorship was no longer the principal means of ensuring group solidarity. The crumbling bricks brought not only freedom of movement but freedom of thought. Now, nearly thirty years later, globalisation has created a new balance of power, disrupting borders and economies across the world. The groups that thought they were in power no longer have much of a say and are anxious about their future. As protest grows, we are beginning to see that the old antagonisms have not disappeared but are, in fact, resurfacing. This article will start by looking at the dissembling of a marriage in which the wall that had peacefully maintained coexistence disintegrates and leads to a psychic development that uncannily mirrors that of populism today. The individual vignette leads to a broader psychological understanding of the totalitarian dynamic that underlies populism and threatens once again to imprison us within its walls.

Virginia Woolf and Being-in-the-world

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Simone
Keyword(s):  
Virginia Woolf ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
The Political ◽  
Cartesian Dualism ◽  
Self And Other ◽  
The World ◽  
Binary Oppositions ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Existential Perspective

Virginia Woolf and Being-in-the-world: A Heideggerian Study explores Woolf’s treatment of the relationship between self and world from a phenomenological-existential perspective. This study presents a timely and compelling interpretation of Virginia Woolf’s textual treatment of the relationship between self and world from the perspective of the philosophy of Martin Heidegger. Drawing on Woolf’s novels, essays, reviews, letters, diary entries, short stories, and memoirs, the book explores the political and the ontological, as the individual’s connection to the world comes to be defined by an involvement and engagement that is always already situated within a particular physical, societal, and historical context. Emma Simone argues that at the heart of what it means to be an individual making his or her way in the world, the perspectives of Woolf and Heidegger are founded upon certain shared concerns, including the sustained critique of Cartesian dualism, particularly the resultant binary oppositions of subject and object, and self and Other; the understanding that the individual is a temporal being; an emphasis upon intersubjective relations insofar as Being-in-the-world is defined by Being-with-Others; and a consistent emphasis upon average everydayness as both determinative and representative of the individual’s relationship to and with the world.

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