When the
But after an initial rush of people clamoring to get jabbed, demand for shots quickly slowed. It is now down to a trickle even though
Dr.
“At first, we only had negative publicity because of the failure to secure vaccines, but once the vaccines finally started arriving, mainly through donations, people became picky,” he said.
So far, just under 13% of Bosnia’s 3.3 million people have been fully vaccinated, among the lowest shares in
“The bottom line is, people are poorly informed and lack up-to-date knowledge,” Drljevic said.
With so few takers, over 50,000
The pandemic has amplified the many problems of the Balkan nation, which is still struggling to recover from a devastating interethnic war in 1992-95. Nearly half of
The country has an extreme shortage of doctors and nurses, as well as rampant public corruption. Several elected and appointed government officials are under investigation or on trial for suspected malfeasance in the procurement of needed medical equipment and supplies during the pandemic.
The high-profile cases make Bosnians susceptible to claims that their leaders are acting in concert with corrupt pharmaceutical companies and are “happy to sacrifice them” for personal gain, according to
“People in
While vaccine hesitancy in
The
In a press release, it warned that disinformation about vaccines’ side effects and potential risks, coupled with the introduction of vaccine passes was “sparking anger and violence” and has led to “concerning incidents against medical services, media and the general public” in the
"Without addressing people’s concerns and fears, vaccines may not find their way into the arms of those most at risk, even where doses are available,” IFRC regional director for Europe
In
Meanwhile, activists with strong anti-vaccine opinions dominate the discussion on social networks and in the comment sections of news sites.
An opposition lawmaker,
“People stop me in the street to say hello, to congratulate me and ask me to keep up the good work,” she said. “I get so many messages (of support) on Facebook that I can no longer respond to all of them.”
Savic claims that coronavirus vaccines were not put through standard safety testing before being approved for use, and that they have caused severe adverse reactions in 1.2 million people in the
Similar claims have been made in other countries, and scientists and health authorities have repeatedly rejected them. Savic countered that information from reputable sources may cause doubts about the “dangers” of vaccines, but “in their heart and soul, people know the truth.”
“Unfortunately, I have the impression that we are simply letting anti-vaccination lobbies and movements highjack the public debate and spread misinformation that discourages people from getting immunized,”
While waiting to get her second coronavirus vaccine shot in
“I think it is simply an expression of the need to offer some sort of resistance, even if all they are resisting is a vaccine,” Golijanin said.
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