Thread by @michaelmina_lab

I am 1000% for vaccinations for all

I’m very distressed by the inequities in vaccination (including owing to low uptake due to misinformation, even by our own leaders)

But this was never a pandemic of the unvaccinated - It’s always a pandemic of a virus

theatlantic.com/health/archive…

I’ve been working w vax hesitant and anti vax groups for years BEFORE the pandemic

Blame and Shame has never, ever, been the appropriate tactic to change minds. This is a pandemic of a virus

Ppl are either scared or misinformed,

First thing is GAINING TRUST

1/

Shaming and blaming does the exact opposite of gaining trust.

We cannot overlook that we had and still have leaders who have confused the shit out of ppl. Scared them of vaccines. Told them over and over that the virus is not bad.

We don’t undo this by shaming

2/

We do this by trying really f*^%ing hard to be compassionate and understand WHY people are choosing to take actions that are against their own best interests.

Only once we better understand WHY can we address root cause of these decisions

3/

I’m exceedingly upset by the number of ppl who just assume everyone should think like them, and understand science and public health, despite the massive misinformation campaigns

4/