Exploring Distrust in the Wait and See: Lessons for Vaccine Communication

We conducted in-depth interviews with survey respondents who were distrusting of government authorities and/or communications, and also undecided about accepting the COVID-19 vaccine. Our sample was racially and ethnically diverse, mostly lower income without a college degree. Participants were concerned about their own health and cared about public health, but expressed mistrust in the government and the media. They generally felt ignored by public and institutional systems and expressed a desire to be listened to. These attitudes all influenced lack of confidence in the vaccine. We identify specific opportunities for intervention and communication in vaccine promotion. We propose longer-term solutions for improving trust, which is essential for the effective delivery of future health interventions.

Covid Vaccines for Children with Developmental Disabilities: Parent Survey of Willingness and Concerns

Objective While 1-in-6 US children has a developmental disability (DD), and such children are disproportionately affected by COVID-19, little is known about their vaccination status. We surveyed US parents of children with DDs to ascertain willingness and concerns regarding COVID-19 vaccines. Methods An online survey was distributed to national, statewide, and regional DD networks from June-September 2021. (Vaccines were authorized for adolescents in May 2021.) We report associations between vaccine willingness and concerns and: race/ethnicity, child age, in-person schooling, routine/flu vaccinations, and DD diagnoses. Willingness was categorized as Got /Will Get ASAP (high), Wait and See/Only if Required, or Definitely Not. Results 393 parents (51.2% white) responded. Willingness differed by age (p<.001). High willingness was reported for 75.3%, 48.9%, and 38.1% of children aged 12-17, 6-11 and 0-5 years-old, respectively. Willingness differed by Autism diagnosis (p<.001) and routine and flu vaccination status (p<.01). Predominant concerns included side effects (89%) and children with disabilities not being in trials (79%). Less common concerns were: COVID not serious enough in children to warrant vaccine (22%) and misinformation (e.g., microchips, 5G, DNA changes) (24%). Concerns about vaccine safety differed by age (p<.05) and were highest for young children. In age-stratified adjusted models, Autism was positively associated with high willingness for 6-11year-olds (OR= 2.66, 95% CI= 1.12-6.35). Conclusion Parents of children with DD are more willing for them to receive COVID-19 vaccines, compared to the general population. While few factors predicted willingness to vaccinate, addressing safety and developmental concerns regarding young children is warranted.

Oddziaływanie nieliberalnych rządów Nicolasa Maduro w Wenezueli na bez-pieczeństwo międzynarodowe w perspektywie współpracy Moskwy i Caracas

The aim of the paper is to show how the peculiarities of the Venezuelan political system, expressed by Nicolas Maduro and implemented by forces concentrated around this person, affect in-ternational security. The article shows that there is a close correlation between the illiberal political system of contemporary Venezuela and the behavior of the authorities of this country on the interna-tional forum. The degree of military involvement of the Russian Federation in Venezuela was as-sessed. It has been shown that the political system of contemporary Venezuela is petrified by the features of the authoritarian system; thus these features become the source of its weakness. This, in turn, enables countries supporting Maduro's rule to strengthen their positions in this country, which Russia also benefits from. Russia benefits, however, from this situation with a visible reserve resulting from the awareness of the total economic inertia of this, nominally, one of Latin America's richest countries. It was emphasized that Moscow is increasingly taking a wait-and-see position towards Ca-racas, realizing the growing uncertainty about the investments made so far in the country.

Iran’s position regarding the afghan military conflict in 1978-1979

The author considers the position of Iran regarding the Afghan armed conflict (1978-1979) before the Soviet troops entered Afghanistan, as well as the consistent evolution of this position and the involvement of Iran in internal Afghan events. The author relies mainly on documentary sources, but also attracts scientific works in Russian and English (including the works of Iranian authors). According to the author, the analysis and study of Irans position on Afghanistan and the evolution of this position deserve a separate article because, firstly, the religious factor began to especially influence Irans foreign policy after the events of the Islamic Revolution of 1979; secondly, for the two years chosen for consideration in an article in Iran, the political regime has radically changed, and it is useful to consider the transformation of Irans foreign policy from the reign of the shah to the theocratic regime. In the first part of the article, the author analyzes the position of the Shah of the Iranian regime regarding the April Revolution of 1979 and the political changes that took place in Afghanistan after the revolution. The second part is devoted to the policy of Iran with respect to Afghanistan in 1979, and in this part the author argues that the Herat rebellion, which took place in March 1979, became the main trigger for transforming Irans attitude towards Afghanistan from a wait-and-see attitude to active involvement. The author also notes, that Irans policy towards Afghanistan in 1978-1979 developed sequentially, despite the radical transformation of power in Iran itself during this period.

The Initial Coin Offering (ICO) Process: Regulation and Risks

ICOs are very attractive for investors and issuers. ICOs allow funding raising in exchange for cryptographically secure tokens, which are a means of paying for future projects or services. However, there is insignificant regulation of this process all over the world. Some countries have banned crypto assets; others have allowed the free use of tokens but do not give them official status. In this paper, the authors present an overview of the legal regulation of ICOs in different countries, dividing them into three groups: in the first group are the countries with developed legal norms and rules for conducting ICO, they have the subsequent circulation of tokens on their territory; in the second group are the countries that are most friendly to ICOs; the third group of countries has a wait-and-see attitude. The author connect the insufficient law regulation and risks of ICOs in different countries. The types of ICO risks are divided into three main categories: financial, technical, and analytical. The main ways to reduce these risks, depending on their types, are highlighted in this study. They are connected with the improvement of the legal regulation of the publication of a White Paper, the KYC procedure, and the involvement of escrow agents.

Factors associated with the unwillingness of Jordanians, Palestinians and Syrians to be vaccinated against COVID-19

Background The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to continue to inflect immense burdens of morbidity and mortality, not to mention the sever disruption of societies and economies worldwide. One of the major challenges to managing COVID-19 pandemic is the negative attitudes towards vaccines and the uncertainty or unwillingness to receive vaccinations. We evaluated the predictors and factors behind the negative attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccines in 3 countries in the Middle East. Methods A cross-sectional, self-administered survey was conducted between the 1st and the 25th of December, 2020. Representative sample of 8619 adults residing in Jordan, West Bank, and Syria, completed the survey via the Web or via telephone interview. The survey intended to assess intent to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and to identify predictors of and reasons among participants unwilling/hesitant to get vaccinated. Results The total of the 8619 participants included in this study were the ones who answered the question on the intent to be vaccinated. Overall, 32.2% of participants (n = 2772) intended to be vaccinated, 41.6% (n = 3589) didn’t intend to get vaccinated, and 26.2% (n = 2258) were not sure. The main factors associated with the willingness to take the vaccine (yes responses) included females, 18–35 years old, Syrians and Jordanians, a large family size, and having received a flu vaccine last year. Reasons for vaccine hesitancy included the lack of rigorous evaluation of the vaccine by the FDA and the possible long-term health risks associated with the vaccines (the wait-and-see approach). Conclusion This survey, conducted in December when the number of cases and deaths per day due to COVID-19 were at or near peak levels of the initial surge in the three regions under investigation. The survey revealed that most of survey’s participants (67.8%) were unwilling/hesitant to get vaccinated against COVID-19 with the lack of trust in the approval process of the vaccine being the main concern; the two main characteristics of those participants were more than 35 years old and participants holding a Bachelor’s degree or higher. Targeted and multi-pronged efforts will be needed to increase acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine in Jordan, West Bank and Syria.