Not All Anti-Vaccine Movements are Equal: A Brief Commentary on Asia and Europe

By Andreas Hartauer & Samantha Deo Christian International Relations Student at International University Liaison Indonesia Email: andreas.hartuaer@stud.iuli.ac.id, samantha.christian@stud.iuli.ac.id

Europe has recently been in the spotlight after a surge of COVID-19 cases and anti-vaccine movements. Whilst it is true that many anti-vaxxers simply do not believe in the existence of the pandemic or are generally misinformed about the vaccines, not all anti-vaccine movements are the same. The concerns of some anti-vaccine movements seem to go beyond the contents of a syringe – they are concerned about freedom and trust. Admitted, it might sound senseless to talk about freedom amidst the pandemic, but for residents of countries that had to face authoritarian governments or even dictatorships in the past, seemingly draconian measures such as lockdowns, mandatory vaccines, and rules that separate those who are vaccinated from those who are not bring back nothing but unpleasant memories.

TALKING ABOUT UNPLEASANT MEMORIES: pharmacy scandals are extremely present in the minds of many Europeans and distrust towards pharmaceutical companies in Europe have led people to consciously, and proudly, decide to not be vaccinated in refusal of feeding multibillion-dollar companies more profit. Perhaps one of the most distressing incidents took place in the 1950s and 1960s, when Thalidomide (also distributed as Contergan), was widely used as a medicine against insomnia, anxiety, and morning sickness. Yet, the seemingly harmless drug led to more than 10.000 birth defects, along highly deformed children and permanent disabilities, leaving behind a trail of scepticism and thousands of heartbroken mothers and families. We may also recall that many European nations host some of the most powerful and manipulative pharmacy companies in the world, such as BASF and Roche, and unlike in Asia or in the US where lobbyism has been penetrating parliaments equally as societies, in Europe many are aware of the unethical behaviours of these companies. BASF, for example, is known for having acquired Monsanto’s Roundup glyphosate pesticide – an until today highly controversial product.

Where trust was not broken, freedom was put in shackles. France, for instance, imposed rather strict regulations, which led to a backlash. Meanwhile, the infamous Yellow Vests keep protesting for various reasons, amongst them against COVID-19 restrictions. The French legislator is suspected of brushing aside acquis sociaux during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, which includes important labour rights. Whilst labour rights have been in the focal point of political turmoil and protests in France in the months prior the virus outbreak, the legislator seems to politically instrumentalize the pandemic in order to liberalize the labour market.

France’s neighbour, Germany, was host to one of the worst authoritarian dictatorships in human history – the National- Socialist reign that killed millions in their crusade against those that are different, often in the name of Racial Science and Eugenics. Whilst there is no correlation, some seem to end up drawing a connection to mRNA vaccines – genetic vaccines, which are highly popular in Europe. In a country where individual freedom is highly respected and of paramount significance, the newly elected government’s plan to impose tougher regulations on unvaccinated individuals has ignited anti-vaccine movements in fear of discriminatory practices and demonisations. The movement had previously attempted an assassination of the state premier, Michael Kretschmer, a plot that was thwarted by the German police. Then again, the movement is popular in Saxony – a stronghold of right-wing extremists, conspiracists and the German Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) – perhaps one worse than the other one.

Both countries stand in stark contrast with Singapore, where the government has released even tighter COVID-19 restrictions, ruling that people unvaccinated by choice will have to pay their own medical bills should they be hospitalized with COVID-19. The policy was released in assumption that unvaccinated individuals would require more intensive inpatient care, occupying more beds and consequently affecting the healthcare system disproportionately. The policy has been lauded and receives support from the Singaporean public – yet the same ruling would never be possible in Europe. The Japanese public was one of the most vaccine-sceptic communities in the world due to past vaccination scares and failures, particularly about the HPV vaccine, leading to various media reports covering a story of adverse reactions towards the vaccine, such as cognitive decline. Despite no scientific evidence available, Japan experienced a deep plunge in vaccination rates, simultaneously turning it into the one of the least vaccine-confident countries in the world. Only 30% of the public believed that the vaccines were safe – a way smaller figure compared to the 50% figure found amongst U.S. Americans. Yet, when the Japanese government pushed for the 2020 Olympics, the public was enraged and full of concerns. Eventually, the sporting event led to vaccination booths opening everywhere, covering a large chunk of the country, and becoming the reason why many Japanese got vaccinated in the first place.

The various reasons for Europe’s scepticism seem conceivable, but the question remains: what is the reason behind Asia’s lack of scepticism? Japan, as we learnt, had its fair share of vaccine scandals, and yet, its vaccination rate increased on a higher rate than in many other countries during the pandemic.

In an attempt to answer this mystery, some have cited Confucian beliefs as the reason why East Asian countries and other Confucianisminfluenced Asian countries tend to have little anti-vaccine resistance. Confucian values dictate that collective societal concerns surpass personal concerns. Obedience towards authority is deeply rooted in many Asian societies, and since the discourse of personal freedom is often viewed negatively in various cultures across Asia, the ruling authority, that is the government, may impose necessary measures to achieve what is seen as best for society. When the Japanese government announced the Olympics, the society was immediately concerned about their collective wellbeing – and the only way to ensure such was through widespread vaccinations. Whilst many Europeans have shown themselves to be more concerned about the political implications of vaccinations, many Asians are more concerned about health implications and safety. Or one could say, most anti-vaccine movements in Asia are concerned about what is inside the syringe and not what is outside it.

Nonetheless and regardless of all, it is important to remember that the idea of a ‘New Normal’ simply should not exist – there is nothing normal about the ‘New Normal’. Sometimes we should remind ourselves to accept the harsh reality of the pandemic, whilst looking forward to returning the pre-pandemic state of actual normality. We do not endorse any anti-vaccination movements – nor do we try to point out, or imply, that Europe does it better than Asia or vice versa. As it is not our intention to foster a narrative of competition, we must realize that the difference between Europe and Asia is indeed of cultural nature, but often times differences are just that – differences. Instead, we agree wholeheartedly with Deng Xiaoping: it does not matter whether the cat is black or white, as long as it catches the mice.

Autobiography: Samantha Deo Christian is currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in International Relations at International University Liaison Indonesia. Specializing in East Asian cultural and socio-political studies, she is passionate in her endeavours and has published her works in other universities. In the past, she has worked as a Partnership and International Relations Officer for the ASEAN Youth Organization, chaired the IULI Student Executive Board 2020/2021, and is currently running a blog with her colleague. Andreas Hartauer started his academic journey in International Relations and specialized in International Political Economy. As an MBA Candidate at National Formosa University (Taiwan), he is focusing on bank-specific and macroeconomic factors as well as investment banking, whilst benefiting from 1 ½ years of background in Data Science acquired through extra-curricular activities. During his time at HI!Folks, he has been acting as a Staff Writer and Editor. He continues in the Editorial Board of PolisReflects, a German peer-reviewed International Relations Journal under Polis180.