Too many believing in conspiracy theories

As more children get vaccinated against Covid-19, it is hoped schools, childcare centres and kindergartens will have fewer disruptions and remain open. — Filepic

THE pen is truly mightier than the sword and I empathise with how much trouble this tool, now in the form of a smartphone or computer, is causing health authorities.

I know people who are against Covid-19 vaccination for children.

They are convinced that the vaccines are part of a diabolical scheme.

The vaccine, they are sure, will alter their children’s minds and somehow turn them away from religion.

They subscribe to the conspiracy theory that once injected, their children will exhibit a change in behaviour and even have their DNA sequence reconfigured.

Never mind that the imagined microchip will likely get stuck inside the syringe when the nurse presses the plunger, they still believe it exists, or at least that it is so minuscule that they are rightly called nanites or nanochips in the movies.

While I am not passing judgment, I believe the reasons given obviously stem from misinformation, lies and fake news, “forwarded many times” or “forwarded as received” on our smartphones.

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin recently tweeted an update on the vaccination of children in Penang that made me sigh.

He revealed that in a vernacular primary school, 5% of pupils did not turn up for their shots, while at a nearby national primary school, 70% of the children did not show up.

I wonder why this stark contrast exists.

A friend told me that he refused to take his six-year-old son to get vaccinated for these reasons.

This is despite the fact that he is fully vaccinated, with a booster jab to boot.

My questions are what right do we have to deny our children the protection they should get, and what knowledge or expertise do people use to assess information they receive from the friend of a friend of a friend?

As a father of a six-year-old, I do feel the obligation to ensure my daughter is protected from Covid-19.

And I confess that at first, after hearing so many stories about children’s vaccination problems on social media, I was hesitant.

But who am I to deny her right to get vaccinated?

I am not a doctor, virologist or immunologist, so how can I make decisions from reading stuff on my phone or computer?

So one Saturday, I took my daughter for her vaccination appointment, and after a bit of drama when the nurse wanted to administer the jab, nothing bad happened.

She has had no side effects nor fever.

She is still her usual sprightly self; no change in behaviour.

I had to deal with other “side effects” as she demanded a Happy Meal and a teddy bear, and I was happy to comply.

Vaccinating children will help slow community infection rates and the creation of new variants, which can be more resistant to current Covid-19 vaccines and lengthen the pandemic.

With more children protected from Covid-19 and less risk of disruptive quarantines, schools, childcare centres and kindergartens will be more likely to stay open for the students’ benefit.

By refusing to get our children vaccinated, we also deny them their right to go to school, mingle with their friends and socialise.

The United States’ Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has assured that the vaccine for children is safe and effective as it has undergone rigorous reviews.

In clinical trials, vaccine side effects among children were mild and similar to those seen in adults.

The most common side effect was a sore arm.

These side effects may affect your child’s ability to do daily activities, but it should go away in a few days.

Some people have no side effects, while severe allergic reactions are extremely rare.

Family medicine specialist Dr Mastura Mohd Sopian from Universiti Sains Malaysia said with the Omicron wave expected to increase in the coming days, more children would face the risk of getting infected.

“Parents must know how to weigh the risk and benefits of vaccination.

“Children can get complications like Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome from Covid-19 and risk being admitted to the intensive care unit and even die if they do not get vaccinated.”

She said parents needed to realise that the longer they delayed vaccination for their children, the more at risk the young ones would be.

“It is up to them but at the end of the day, they must be responsible if their children get serious complications from a Covid-19 infection,” Dr Mastura added.

There are no hidden agendas, conspiracy theories or human- control schemes by the government in this vaccination roll-out.

Protect yourself and your children.