Conspiracies on COVID-19 Vaccines: Middle Eastern Minorities

ABSTRACT

Social determinants of health have a major correlation to the health of a population during a pandemic. This was seen during the covid-19 pandemic when minority communities who were economically and culturally isolated were recorded with a higher rate of infection. This is compared to the average white population of the UK, where this study has taken place. Covid vaccines, primary Pfizer and AstraZeneca, have decreased infection by limiting transmission and increasing herd immunity. However, many minorities (including Muslims and middle eastern people) in the UK fail to take the vaccine and gain immunity to the disease as fears against Covid-19 vaccines grow. This issue can be further extended to the Middle East as a whole, with many countries failing to achieve herd immunity, thus leaving their population vulnerable to death and their economies to stunted growth. This could lead to millions dead and billions loss in GDP for countries like Iran, Pakistan and Turkey, who rely heavily on manual labour as their primary source of income. One of the primary reasons why Middle Eastern and North African ethnicities in the UK and middle eastern countries are failing to take vaccines is due to the conspiracies and misinforming stories they have heard regarding the Covid-19 vaccines. This paper aims to highlight the main conspiracies surrounding Covid vaccines and suggest ways in which an effective healthcare system can manage and encourage the use of vaccines within a population. This could in turn help to save the lives of many individuals and a faster recovery in income and economy for the middle east. © 2022 IEEE.