For all intents and purposes
In the last week, Malta has been widely touted as a go-to green light destination for the UK market, with local media outlets confirming such news. However, we are far from the truth here; on Monday, BoJo did indeed propose the draft tourism proposal to the Brits, yet postponed naming any greenlight destinations until May.
The question is if we will feel a knock-on effect here, as doubt still lingers in the air, and as we all know, a great deal can change in a month or even in the space of a week. Locally, we are not running with the "it's too early to say" line or proceeding with further caution, but rather the "we are open from June, please book Malta!"
Of course, the launch of the tourism strategy, last week, was a welcome and much-needed plan to revive one of our islands most integral sectors. In combination with an EU-leading vaccine drive, things are naturally optimistic. Locally, the vaccine has not been met with much resistance; compared to countries such as Russia and France, where locals are not attending appointments due to mistrust in the jab. Aside from the AstraZeneca vaccine, where we have heard reports of people locally refusing this specific jab, I've asked countless older adults which vaccine they received, and barely any of them could name the one they got; they were just glad to have it. While attendance has been great for the 60 plus category and those with underlying vulnerabilities, will the same be said for those in their 20s?
Vaccine hesitancy isn't new. However, the pandemic has created the ideal conditions for mistrust of a Covid-19 vaccine to thrive. Part of the problem is the complexity and variability of transmission and infection. The fact that you may not catch the virus if you break social distancing guidelines and that the illness may be mild if you do get it, has led some to conclude that there isn't a real problem. Moreover, the internet is awash with misinformation, including conspiracy theories, about the virus, lockdown and vaccinations.
A recent study from the University of Oxford found that those who are hesitant about the Covid-19 vaccine tend to be people who may not be so aware of a vaccine's public health aspects. They don't consider themselves at significant risk of illness, doubt the efficacy of a vaccine, worry about potential side effects or fear that it's been developed too quickly. A further study from the University of Glasgow published two weeks ago showed that more than 28% of younger adults aged 25-34 said they would not have the vaccine, compared to 14.3% in the 55-64 age group, 8.1% in the 65-67 age group and 4.5% in the 75+ age group.
Consequently, the next few months are vital if we are to revive our country, especially as we move to different age groups. The message must be solid and transparent: for the benefit of everyone; each of us has a duty to get vaccinated when possible. Most people can see vaccination as the light at the end of the tunnel, but they are also looking – perfectly reasonably – for information they can trust.
Are we going to be out of the deep water in time for summer? I'd say it's too early to say. To quote Professor Freeman of the Oxford study, "as crises like the current pandemic make clear, trust is the foundation stone of our community. Without it, even the most significant medical breakthroughs can seem like cause for suspicion".