The arrival of the Covid-19 vaccines and President Joko Widodo\'s decision to give them to the public for free is good news at the end of 2020.
By
BASTIAN NAINGGOLAN
·6 minutes read
TANGKAPAN LAYAR AKUN SEKRETARIAT PRESIDEN DI KANAL YOUTUBE
President Joko Widodo provided information regarding the provision of free Covid-19 vaccines for the Indonesian people at the Merdeka Palace online, Wednesday (16/12/2020).
The arrival of the Covid-19 vaccines and President Joko Widodo\'s decision to give them to the public for free is good news at the end of 2020. And how could it not be, in the face of all the threats haunting the public amid this pandemic. There is no reliable solution to these threats other than to implement health protocols on rules of behavior, such as physical distancing. The hope was that this could contain the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19.
However, the results of those efforts failed to meet the expectations. The number of new daily positive cases of Covid-19 and deaths from the disease continue to increase. Public life, especially economic activity, has slowed down. Against this background, the vaccines and vaccination efforts provide new hope for a way out of the pandemic. In essence, with the presence of the vaccines, tackling Covid-19 is no longer limited to implementing health protocols; immunity now provides a new challenge to the virus.
Such a refreshing hope has also blossomed in the minds of the public in the past month. The results of a public opinion survey conducted by Kompas in early December, for example, signal the formation of growing optimism in society. Lately, the degree of enthusiasm and readiness to live in the pandemic era have increased. The same is true for people’s self-efficacy in overcoming problems related to the impact of this pandemic.
Compared to previous surveys, the proportion of people who are optimistic about facing the pandemic is now greater. This time, they accounted for 43.2 percent of all respondents, a larger share than in previous surveys. At the same time, the number of pessimists is on a declining trend. This means that, in the last few months, there has been a change in people\'s attitude toward a more optimistic outlook.
The awakening of this optimistic attitude seems to contradict the factual condition they are experiencing. How to explain optimism in the midst of stressful conditions? With regard to household finances, for example, three-quarters of respondents experienced a decrease in family income.
A vial of Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine that receive emergency use authorization is seen at George Washington University Hospital, December 14, 2020, in Washington, DC. - The United States kicked off a mass vaccination drive Monday hoping to turn the tide on the world\'s biggest coronavirus outbreak, as the country\'s death toll neared a staggering 300,000.
In line with the decrease in income, various logical adjustments have been made, one of the most notable one being a reduction in the fulfillment of needs that are tertiary and secondary in nature. At the same time, people have begun to organize the fulfillment of their primary needs, such as by building savings to meet basic needs in the future.
Answers from the two sides that seem to be contradictory relate to the growing discourse regarding the Covid-19 vaccines. Amid increasingly urgent economic necessity as the threat of Covid-19 spreading has not subsided, it seems reasonable that the presence of vaccines and vaccination efforts become more promising.
The government\'s effort to quickly bring in vaccines and establish cooperation in the production of vaccines in the country raises hope. This is indirectly reflected in the public assessment that now points to increasing satisfaction (54.4 percent) with the government\'s performance in overcoming the pandemic. Besides that, no fewer than two-thirds of respondents (67.9 percent) feel confident that the government can with the pandemic. The level of satisfaction and public confidence will be even greater after the government\'s plans are implemented, such as with the arrival of the Covid-19 vaccines.
Politics and economy
However, vaccines and their application are not viewed simply with respect to their health benefits. Other dimensions, such as economics and politics, come into play. The value of vaccines and vaccinations has been transformed into a commodity that is often exchanged in the economic and political space. This opens up new complex problems at the levels of production, distribution and consumption.
With regard to consumption, the most prominent thing that is indicated is the expression of public acceptance or rejection. The survey results show that not all respondents are willing to be vaccinated. Of those who are willing to be vaccinated, some still have doubts. The results of this survey also show that various political to ideological considerations impact the decision, regardless of whether it is public acceptance or rejection.
BPMI SEKRETARIAT PRESIDEN
The vaccine made by Sinovac is stored at PT Bio Farma, Bandung, Monday (7/12/2020). Vaccines are stored until the FDA ensures the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.
To illustrate this point, at least 55 percent of the respondents say they are interested in getting vaccinated, while 22 percent still have doubts and 23 percent have little or no interest. If an economic burden is added to vaccination, the group that expressed doubt is emotionally affected. The group of those who refuse to be vaccinated is barely changed at 24 percent of respondents.
Thus, the survey results suggest that 76 percent of respondents can be categorized as people accepting vaccines. Of this group, if elaborated further, 44 percent are willing as long as it is free of charge. The rest are willing to pay, as long as it is line with their ability (22 percent). Others are willing but also depending on government subsidies (8 percent). There are also 2 percent of respondents who are willing to pay regardless of the price.
The degree of acceptance and rejection of vaccines and vaccinations also correlates with the political attitudes of respondents. This can be seen from the political sentiment of vaccines, which is based on considerations of the country of origin of the vaccine producer. For vaccines manufactured in China, the degree of rejection swells to 35 percent. For vaccines produced by the United States and European countries, the degree of rejection is slightly lower (30 percent).
Meanwhile, if the vaccine is produced domestically, rejection is expressed only by 12 percent of respondents. Therefore, the real potential for rejection of any vaccines is only 12 percent. This is a group that ideologically rejects vaccination.
Reflecting on the survey results, the greatest resistance to vaccines and vaccinations most prominently is in the lower-income group. This group is also the most prominent being pessimistic during the pandemic. Thus, policies to reduce the economic burden, such as by making the vaccines free, could reduce resistance. However, if the walls of political and ideological resistance are solid, other strategies are needed to illuminate the way of the pandemic. (TAN)
