How do we explain mistrust of the corona vaccine?

Stuart Blume, Emeritus Professor Science & Technology Studies - Anthropologist Stuart Blume has been researching vaccination programmes for the last 20 years. He has observed important historical developments that may partly explain the current mistrust towards coronavirus vaccines, such as changes in the way vaccines are produced and the rise of right-wing populism. Stuart Blume is professor emeritus of Science & Technology Studies, and his research looks through a historical lens to examine how and why specific vaccines were developed in the Netherlands (such as those for polio, whooping cough and measles), why some vaccines have become controversial and, in collaboration with international colleagues, how globalisation has impacted vaccine development and production worldwide. Vaccines have become controversial - 'By comparing historical studies of different vaccines, I was able to look at what changed,' Blume explains. 'And my prediction has come true - namely, that vaccines would become controversial.' While the resistance to vaccinations has been growing for quite some time, it is now clearly visible in the 40% of the Dutch population that, according to various surveys, does not want to get vaccinated against COVID-19. 'You always have to take this kind of survey with a grain of salt', Blume warns. 'There's a difference between saying something and doing something, after all, but it's still a very high number.' To illustrate, he points out that few people opposed vaccination programmes for whooping cough and measles years ago.