Big news. Krispy Kreme is offering a free original glazed doughnut to anyone who presents a valid Covid-19 vaccination card. Yum. They're my favorites.
That's on top of giving away "more than 30 million doughnuts to healthcare workers, first responders, teachers, coaches, graduating seniors and more" in 2020.
No wonder we're all gaining weight during Covid.
They are also offering employees four hours of paid time off to get vaccinated. (Ellwanger, 2021)
In a recent survey, Pew Research found that 30% of Americans do not intend to get vaccinated. That translates into 76.5 million adults. Typically only 43.6 million would shun a vaccine.
So what's going on here?
When asked why they would not be getting a vaccine, this is what they said:
· 89% are worried about side effects
· 85% said they thought the vaccines were developed and tested too quickly
· 80% said they wanted more information about how well the vaccines work
· 74% said they feel alarmed after seeing too many mistakes made by the medical system in the past
· 68% said they didn't think they needed the vaccine
Where does "being afraid of needles" fit in?
According to a research study from University of Michigan, 20% - 30% of adults studied cited concern about needles, ranging from mild anxiety to a phobia strong enough to keep some from seeking medical care.
And for those folks, billboards with oversized photos of needles may be the force that is driving them away. (Appleby, 2021)
What do you think? Are the reasons people stated in the poll accurate? Or is it all about fear? What can we do to encourage these people to get the Covid-19 vaccine? Will doughnuts do the trick?
Ellwanger, S. (2021, March 23) Krispy Kreme Spreads 'Sweet Support' To Vaccine Recipients. mediapost.com. Retrieved March 23, 2021, from https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/361634/krispy-kreme-spreads-sweet-support-to-vaccine-re.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=headline&utm_campaign=121816&hashid=ybq2buULrntyGS6NfbELk0afrrI
Villarreal, D. (2021, March 5) 57% of Those Who Won't Get COVID Vaccine Say They Generally Avoid Them: Poll. newsweek.com. Retrieved March 23, 2021, from https://www.newsweek.com/57-those-who-wont-get-covid-vaccine-say-they-generally-avoid-them-poll-1574195
Appleby, J. (2021, March 8) Fear of needles may keep many people away from Covid vaccines. nbcnews.com. Retrieved Match 23, 2021, from https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/fear-needles-may-keep-many-people-away-covid-vaccines-n1259773
3 comments:
Krispy Kreme’s free glazed doughnut campaign is cute! But of course, people will not get vaccinated just because to get free doughnuts at the Krispy Kreme. When I see the polls, I agree some people are worried about the side effects of the vaccine. In South Korea, the government could not secure Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, so Korean people can only take the AstraZeneca vaccine. However, the media has released people’s death after getting the AstraZeneca vaccine these days. It is still investigating whether it was really because of the vaccine or not, but the news was enough to make people frightened from getting the vaccine. And my brother-in-law also got the Astrazeneca vaccine last month, and he was sick very severely. According to him, he never got sick like that in his entire life. After my parents heard about his bad experience, they decided not to take the AstraZeneca vaccine until Pfizer or Moderna vaccines are available. Currently, our government keeps saying Astrazeneca is fine even though many people experienced serious side effects. Government has to prove whether AstraZeneca is safe or not with enough evidence. We need the government is more honest and transparent about this issue. That would encourage people to feel more comfortable getting the vaccine.
And another way to make people get a vaccine is government or social media platforms actively have to regulate people who intentionally release fake information about vaccines and Covid-19. Last time, while I was watching Covid related news, the Youtube algorithm recommended a video that explains a Covid-19 related conspiracy theory. The Youtuber seriously said Bill Gates created Covid-19 several years ago, and the vaccines we take have tiny invisible microchips inside to control people’s brains. The Youtuber explained those stories without any reliable sources; for me, it was just a hilarious video, but when I checked the comments section, I was shocked because most people seriously believed what the Youtuber said and they spread more extreme theories online. Youtube or government agencies need to regulate those people who spread fake information intentionally, but it would be tricky because they will say every opinion should be respected and they have the freedom to speech anything. However, I believe when someone’s opinions threaten the public’s health and lives, I believe they must be restricted. -Hanjo Mok-
It is glad to know that Krispy Kreme is offering free donuts to vaccinated people! Because I just got my vaccine done. On my opinion, I don't believe that receiving free donut will motivate anyone who don't want to get a vaccine or finds it too complicated. Scheduling an appointment for vaccine is pretty hard for the first place, some areas are short of vaccines and still getting essential workers vaccines first. But I definitely think that the company gave consumers a positive company image through supporting society issue.
I do think that 30% of Americans don't intend to get vaccinated because the pandemic is slowing down now, and younger people know that they won't get sick that bad even they are tested positive for coronavirus. I don't think the reason "74% said they feel alarmed after seeing too many mistakes made by the medical system in the past" is reasonable because both pfizer and moderna have above 90% working rate. There are already a lot of statistics on the internet shown that vaccine is safe for everyone above 18. I would say the last reason, 68% said they didn't think they needed the vaccine, is the most accurate reason for anyone who don't want to be vaccinated. Just like how flu shot vaccination coverage is not 50% even thousands of Americans died of flu each year.
I would say the best way to encourage those people to get the Covid-19 vaccine is to allow only vaccinated person to be employed offline, and stop EDD support that is due to any covid-19 reason. Because the government is giving out money through EDD, this discourages people to get employment because they are already getting enough of money. The only way is to force people to get a job, and companies can only hire vaccinated persons. Doughnuts will not do the trick because it gives not enough temptation to those people.
Yes, I believe that the reasons people stated are accurate, in that, many people do have a fear of needles (trypanophobia). Approximately 20-30% of the population have this fear, and a fear of vaccination as well. It does seem to be fear based in its nature. Furthermore, many declassified documents have been released that state that the United Stated partook in several unethical experiments using vaccines as a means to do so. The documents stated that diseases and infections were injected during the Tuskegee experiments and peoples of Guatemala within certain groups of people. I think that a beneficial effort has been made to encourage people to get vaccines that display influential members in popular culture, and authority figures such as politicians and doctors publicly receiving COVID vaccinations. No, I do not think that free donuts will help much to encourage people to receive COVID vaccinations because it only targets a certain portion of the population. Health conscious individuals receive no incentive to get a vaccination by receiving a free donut.
Marcus M
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