Covid’s silver lining – vaccination rates up

Queues for a coronavirus vaccine would be longer than for McDonald’s, a health professor says.

And the dark cloud of the pandemic could have a silver lining in helping push up immunisation rates for other diseases as people see vaccines in a new way, several in the sector say.

‘‘People have been told endlessly that the solution to Covid at the end is going to be a vaccine,’’ Canterbury GP and University of Otago professor Les Toop said.

‘‘The awareness of respiratory diseases viruses and how dangerous they can be, you would have to be in a cave not to have picked up on that.’’

However, a psychology professor warned gains could be tempered by our ‘‘she’ll be right’’ attitude.

Waikato District Health Board chief executive Kevin Snee expects vaccination rates for influenza to increase and suspects a similar trend for childhood illnesses.

‘‘People are looking at vaccinations in quite a different light now, quite understandably ... Whilst we wouldn’t wish the [Covid-19] crisis on anybody, it’s not all negative.’’

Toop has already had over-65s coming to his practice for their first ever flu shot.

‘‘If they come out with a Covid19 vaccine ... it will be bigger queues than for McDonald’s,’’ he said.

As the Christchurch earthquake had people understanding quake magnitudes, coronavirus

made people ‘‘pocket immunological experts’’, especially after the 2019 measles epidemic, Toop said. However, keeping vaccination rates up is a constant project for health professionals.

Nationally, almost 91 per cent of 8-month-olds had all their shots, against a target of 95 per cent, data from January to March 2020 shows.

When disease threat feels real, vaccine demand increases, University of Auckland professor and vaccinologist Dr Helen PetoussisHarris said. Last year’s measles outbreak was an example.

‘‘One of the problems is that a lot of these things are out of sight, therefore out of mind and not seen as a real risk.’’

It’s a cycle: a threat makes people desperate for a vaccine, they embrace it, then start to worry about the vaccine.

Coverage drops until a resurgence reminds people why they wanted the vaccine. And while people want a coronavirus vaccine, there are myths and rumours being circulated about it before it even exists, she said.

Non-stop public health messaging and a ‘‘worse bogeyman than the seasonal flu’’ could help vaccination rates, Victoria University of Wellington psychology professor Marc Wilson said.

But research has shown the Kiwi ‘‘she’ll be right’’ attitude can stop us from doing things that could be good for our health.

‘‘I worry that we’re in too fortunate a position here in New Zealand . . . the immediacy of the threat is less than it would be if you’re in London or New York.’’

And research on the response to the 2008-2009 ‘‘swine flu’’ pandemic showed people aged 19 to 24 were one of the most affected groups, yet among the least likely to get a vaccine.

The short supply of flu vaccines is a concern for GPs, and the next shipment isn’t due until around May 11. There’s a risk of running out, Pharmaceutical Society of NZ president Ian McMichael said.

‘‘[Covid-19] absolutely has put vaccination in the forefront of people’s minds. If [people] are not accessing those services that are out there, rather than blaming the person, ask is there maybe something wrong with the system.’’

‘‘If they come out with a Covid-19 vaccine . . . it will be bigger queues than for McDonald’s.’’

Les Toop

GP and Otago University professor