Anti-Vaccine Action in Guatemala
Ever since the COVID-19 vaccine became available in December 2020, people worldwide have rejected it for medical, religious, or illogical reasons such as fear of government. Anti-vaccine people have defended their position by repeatedly refusing to get the vaccine despite medical advice, but they have also led or supported protests against the vaccine. In some cases, especially in the United States, anti-vaccine people have disrupted vaccine or testing sites.
On October 4, 2021, anti-vaccine people in Guatemala showed a drastic display of their anti-vaccine sentiment. They seized a group of nurses that had been trying to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to people in Guatemala. The anti-vaccine people had let the air out of the nurses’ tires to sabotage them and their efforts to vaccinate the Guatemala population. In the process, they ended up destroying about 50 doses of the vaccine.
According to an article published by ABC News, “Police and local officials later negotiated their release.” Despite the outcome, the anti-vaccine people’s actions were a small display of the larger anti-vaccine sentiment present around the world.
And, Guatemala has suffered from COVID-19. As of October 4, 2021, Guatemala has had close to 567,000 COVID-19 cases and around 14,000 deaths. It is the most affected country in Central America, yet only 25% of the eligible population in Guatemala have been vaccinated. To return to normalcy, it is imperative that those eligible to receive the vaccine do so.
Sources
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-58801096
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