In a world where everything in the West seems politicized, how exactly did Western Governments manage to politicize a disease? What caused the conspiracy theories to implode and lead to a complete refusal to become vaccinated or believe in the seriousness of infection?   

The drastic change that took place from 2019 when Wuhan first announced its novel Coronavirus to two years after safety, distancing, and mask-wearing, some could not imagine that the infection would wiggle its way through their countries and become the global pandemic it did, let alone further major political rifts. 

Statista.com

Miracle Cures: Conform and Control 

Although over 50% of the global population has received at least one dose of the vaccine, some believe the government is exaggerating the dangers of Covid-19 in order to push a sinister agenda of conformity and control. 

The New York Times reported that almost all the unvaccinated adults in the US are strict opponents to the immunization, and the arrival of boosters has them even more suspicious of the efficacy of the vaccine.  

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation's September vaccine monitor poll, 71% of unvaccinated respondents believed that the need for boosters suggested that the immunizations were not functioning.

For instance, one 30-year-old Canadian who spoke on condition of anonymity divulged that "They [governments], have demonstrated that the general public is more than willing to sacrifice their basic rights for basic freedoms. Immunizations of any kind should be a personal medical choice, and I shouldn't be penalized for being suspicious." 

According to Statista, the most common Covid-19 conspiracies all began with the same reasoning, a “miracle cure.” Theories include former US President Donald Trump advocating for hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine medicine although they have not been properly tested.

Wouldn’t trust them with their life

Based on the record 66.6% voter turnout in the US 2020 presidential elections and the 62% voter turnout in the 2021 federal elections in Canada, it is easy to envision how people desperately wanted their voices heard after the pandemic. 

The growing distrust in medical professionals and political leaders is astounding. A great number of people do not trust their own governments, especially if the health recommendation is not in line with their bipartisan rifts or if it comes from an opposing political figure.

According to Futurity.org, roughly 22% of Americans self-identify as anti-vaxxers. 

In Canada, 18% of the population was hesitant about vaccination in July.

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According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), a report from the UK-based Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) found that levels of far-right activity on social media rose during the pandemic. The report cites that the far-right in the US is attempting to embolden right-wingers in Canada to grow their ideology. According to the numbers of demonstrations and anti-vax protests, there is a link between far-right ideology and the anti-vaccine movement.

A study in the Netherlands published in Psychological Medicine found that individuals who believe in conspiracy theories are ironically more likely to be infected.

KFF reports on the difference in vaccination rates among republican and democrat voters. When compared with the 52.8% counties that voted for Biden, only 39.9% of counties that voted for Trump were fully vaccinated.

Killing us [not so] softly

Many countries adopted the lockdown model as a non-pharmaceutical response to the spread of multiple waves of infection.

With most first-world countries implementing various types of lockdowns, some felt safe and secured, others felt controlled and forcefully manipulated. Numerous demonstrations took place, where protesters expressed their freedoms were being taken away from them. 

Some economies began to suffer as a result of many businesses being forced to close, some were suffering mental health concerns being unable to leave their homes, and according to some research, even domestic abuse saw a spike during the lockdown era. In some countries like Canada and Australia, financial assistance was provided for citizens whose employment was directly affected by COVID-19, although that definitely was not the case for all countries.

Nations ranged in how they responded to the pandemic, with most countries closing their borders, and in some countries like Vietnam, the initial response to the pandemic was among the strictest and most successful in the world, with curfews set in place until lockdowns were lifted.

A disease can be politicized if one faction of society believes the government is making the right decisions to protect its citizens, and the other faction believes the government is harming its citizens and their financial well-being by imposing strict regulations on them.

Although the lockdowns yielded significant results, citizens were being pushed to the edge. In Lebanon, where citizens are witnessing the worst economic crisis in the history of the country, some who protested lockdown measures claimed they would rather die of Covid than die of hunger, stressing they could not afford to be left without economic assistance during lockdowns and business closures.

Anti-Mask Anti-Vax

As the infection rates of Covid-19 began to fluctuate in most countries and in efforts to take necessary precautions, legislations were enacted to ensure that people wore their masks indoors in most institutions and that capacities be limited in order to encourage social distancing. However, some in the US and Canada refused to wear masks in public or in private institutions, claiming it infringed on their rights. Numerous videos have surfaced on the web with individuals being escorted out of private and public facilities due to their refusal to wear a mask.

One can contrast the eagerness of sticking by pandemic protocols between the US and Canada. The US has had a long history of bipartisan tensions, however, it took less strict measures during the pandemic, with many states eliminating a mask mandate. 

In contrast with Canada, where bipartisan sentiment was never as high as the US, bipartisan sentiment after the pandemic seems to have only grown. Those who identify as left-leaning are reported to adhere to 90% mask usage, compared to 60% on the right-leaning groups.

When news of vaccinations finally hitting the market arrived, numbers of immunocompromised individuals were relieved. Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson&Johnson, were for some, a miracle in syringe form. When reports began surfacing of dire side effects to some vaccines, that was all it took to put a nail in the coffin for conspiracy theorists who had a hunch the vaccine was already bad news.

What the future looks like

The Pfizer vaccine, according to the US Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention states that although a breakthrough infection is unlikely- it is still possible, and may reduce chances of hospitalization by 96% among adults aged 65-74. According to another study by CDC, unvaccinated patients were 11 times more likely to die than those vaccinated. 

One thing is certain: After months of collecting data, experts have agreed that the delta variant of the virus is the most infectious type globally. It spreads at least two times faster than the original and is presently the main COVID outbreak in the US, accounting for more than 80% of cases.

With vaccine passports becoming more common in the West, we have to investigate the idea of freedom of choice. Is democracy truly the ruling power in the west, or is your choice only democratic if it is law?

With both pro and anti-vaxxers envisioning a spooky future for one another, only time will tell how the debate will come to an end. Hopefully, with as few casualties as possible.