{"id":20594,"date":"2022-03-15T14:15:10","date_gmt":"2022-03-15T06:15:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/?p=20594"},"modified":"2024-04-17T11:42:50","modified_gmt":"2024-04-17T03:42:50","slug":"why-they-say-no-to-vaccine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/2022\/03\/why-they-say-no-to-vaccine\/","title":{"rendered":"Why they say no to vaccine?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Some university students resist mandatory vaccination on campuses.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amelie Yeung<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Refusing to be vaccinated because of possible side effects, university student Reyna Wong* has to do self-tests every two weeks in order to attend lectures at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) campus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have heard from my friends of their friends having abnormal and heavy periods after receiving the vaccine. I think women are more vulnerable to these side effects,\u201d Wong, who is pursuing her master\u2019s degree, says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Wong, the announcement of mandatory vaccination by CUHK in January means she may opt for suspension of studies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI will wait until the pandemic is over to continue my study. I will not get the COVID-19 vaccine no matter what,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of 8 March, there are 497,000 reported cases in Hong Kong. Due to the outbreak, all universities have announced that classes will be conducted virtually. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In January, the CUHK Emergency Response Group announced that all persons on the university campus must have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccination. Otherwise, their enrolment in both physical and online classes will be cancelled. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
CUHK’s announcement of mandatory vaccination in January.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Other universities in Hong Kong have implemented similar measures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Hong Kong Baptist University required all students and staff to be vaccinated by late October last year. The University of Hong Kong (HKU) also requires anyone who enters the campus to be fully vaccinated starting from February.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wong joined a Telegram group with over 1,700 members in late December last year to discuss ways to fight against the CUHK\u2019s vaccination policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chat group members exchange information about the virus, university policy and government measures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are many reasons why students remain unvaccinated, like having medical concerns, and lacking trust in the vaccines\u2019 effectiveness. Some believe we should have body autonomy,\u201d Wong says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She relies on the group for emotional support. \u201cWithout it, I may have gave in already. But being in the group and surrounded by like-minded people reminds me of the dangers of taking the jab,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The logo of the Telegram group opposing mandatory vaccination in CUHK.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In October, the chat group filed a petition voicing objection against mandatory COVID-19 vaccination or testing required by CUHK. It gathered over 2,700 signatures from students, staff members, and alumni. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The petition letter called for students and staff to boycott CUHK\u2019s online vaccination report form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Facing the tightening restrictions of CUHK, the group sent an open letter objecting to the university forcing COVID-19 vaccinations to President Rocky Tuan Sung-chi and CUHK Emergency Response Group in February. The university management has not responded to the group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Side effects of COVID-19 vaccines<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But science does not agree with the group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In February 2021, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States found that six people developed a blood clotting disorder after receiving the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines, among the 6.8 million people who were vaccinated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In April, CDC recommended that vaccination be resumed because the side effects are rare and the benefits outweigh the risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no evidence suggesting that the COVID-19 vaccine will affect menstruation cycles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In July 2021, Clara Paik, clinic medical director of obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of California (UC) Davis Health, an academic medical centre based in the U.S., suggested that changes to women\u2019s menstrual cycle may be due to the stress of vaccinating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite these findings, CUHK student Mary Fu* is still not convinced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy concern is that the vaccine may cause gene mutation. The vaccines are so new and no one knows what side effects it may bring. What if the changes surface decades later? It will be too late by then and our entire generation will be plagued by them,\u201d Fu says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 21-year-old student also questions the protection rate of the vaccine. \u201cBeing vaccinated does not mean you will not get Omicron,\u201d she says, referring to the latest variant of COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A joint study by CUHK and HKU last December found that the protection rate of Comirnaty and CoronaVac vaccines are greatly reduced against Omicron, compared with previous variants. The amount of virus neutralising antibody levels in blood were less than that of the protective threshold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But a third dose of Comirnaty vaccine provides protection levels of antibody against Omicron, while CoronaVac vaccine does not, according to the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fear of Needles<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apart from health concerns, Alice Chan*, an undergraduate student at CUHK, refuses to take jabs due to fear of needles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She recalls once being tied down by nurses when receiving injections for a nervous breakdown in 2017. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was traumatic. I was hysterical and cried and screamed for hours. I begged the nurses not to give me the injection, but they did not listen. Even recalling it now leaves my left arm weak and heavy,\u201d Chan says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since then, the year two student cannot face being injected with anything again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She has obtained medical proof for exemption from COVID-19 vaccination due to her unstable mental condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tightening Restrictions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the United Kingdom, 85 per cent of university students have received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine, according to a study by the Office of National Statistics in December 2021. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In contrast, the percentage of Hongkongers who have received two doses is 62 per cent, according to Our World in Data, a publication with its research team based in Oxford in December 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To boost vaccination rate, the Hong Kong government has rolled out a vaccine pass, under which only vaccinated individuals will be allowed to enter facilities such as restaurants and malls starting from February 24. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Professor Lancelot Mui Wai-ho, a lecturer at CUHK\u2019s Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, says he understands students\u2019 concerns about the side effects of COVID-19 vaccine but notes they should get the jab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGlobally, we have now administered over 10 billion doses of the vaccine. Our understanding of the vaccine is now much better than the early days,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCOVID-19 vaccination is about risks versus benefits. Without a clear and present threat of COVID-19 infection, students will focus on the possible side effects of vaccines and think that the risks outweigh the benefits,\u201d Mui says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cVaccination is the only scientifically proven way to effectively protect society from getting overwhelmed by COVID-19,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mui asserts that taking the vaccine is not only for our own benefit. \u201cIf not enough people are vaccinated, the virus will continue to circulate in the community, and people who cannot be vaccinated will suffer,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTaking the vaccine now will save the lives of many in the future,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The CUHK Medical Centre, one of the many healthcare institutions in Hong Kong that offers COVID-19 vaccination.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

*Names changed at interviewees\u2019 request.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sub-edited by Leung Pak-hei<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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