Countries like Bulgaria are particularly susceptible to conspiracy theories, writes Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NCC). The Swiss publication is looking for an answer to the question “Why nowhere else in the European Union (EU) is the share of vaccinated as low as in Bulgaria and Romania?”.
Such a K-19 scandal had not happened in Bulgaria! PHOTOS
It is not the lack of vaccines that is the reason why so few people in Bulgaria and Romania have been immunized against the coronavirus – quite the opposite. Both countries, which are in the queue for vaccinations in the EU, have mountains of unused vaccines, which have already expired, writes NCC, quoted by “Deutsche Welle“.
Bulgaria and Romania enter the fourth wave unprotected
And the German SPIEGEL draws attention to the great difference between Western and Eastern Europe in terms of immunization levels: while in Belgium, Denmark and Portugal 80 percent of adult citizens have already been vaccinated, c Croatia the quota is 32 percent, and c Bulgaria only about 20%.
„Europe’s experience with COVID-19 is the story of two different pandemics – and these differences may haunt us for many years to come, “SPIEGEL quoted Bulgarian political scientist Ivan Krastev as saying in his report on polarization in Europe as a result of the pandemic.
And really: according to a recent Gallup International survey, about one-fifth of adult Bulgarians have already been fully vaccinated. Another one-fifth are not yet, but they say they will be vaccinated. And as many as 45% say they have no intention of getting vaccinated against COVID-19.
“Yes society is divided into two halves: one has been vaccinated or claims to do so, and the other has neither been vaccinated nor intends to do so, “the study authors conclude.
In the next Romania so far, 27 per cent of people have been vaccinated, well below the EU average of 60 per cent. And there was a period in which Romania was among the champions in vaccination – in early March by EU members only Malta scored better. IN Romania very serious efforts were made to ensure access to vaccines, and the army was involved, which quickly built the necessary infrastructure.
But a crucial negative role was played by the government’s contradictory, even counterproductive, communication, Romanian health expert Octavian Jurma is convinced. When President Klaus Johannes lifted almost all restrictive measures in May, he linked the move to a message about the imminent end of the pandemic.
“Festivals were held with tens of thousands of visitors, without any restrictions. And the incentives for vaccination simply disappeared, “Jurma told the NCC.
The expert notes that the only group in Romania, which manages to persuade effectively, is the group of anti-vaccines. This becomes even more important in the context of the fact that distrust of the state-ordered measures in the former socialist countries of the region is traditionally high, the NCC writes and notes that There is probably much more misinformation about vaccines in Southeast Europe than elsewhere. According to the NCC the region is particularly susceptible to conspiracy theories, which is due to both the relatively low level of education and the specific media environment.
Political crisis in the middle of the pandemic
The current political situation in both countries only exacerbates the problem. IN Romania the ruling coalition disintegrated, and before that there were constant personnel changes – since the outbreak of the pandemic, four health ministers have been replaced in the country. IN Bulgaria is even more complicated – the country has been ruled by a caretaker cabinet for months, after twice forming a regular government proved impossible. Third elections are coming up in November, and in this situation of endless election campaign populist parties such as “There is such a people” (ITN) are trying to profile themselves as a mouthpiece for anti-waxers, writes NCC and commented: “With these low immunization quotas the recent tightening of precautionary measures is the only way to deter the sharp rise in disease and deaths observed “.
EXPECT DETAILS IN BLITZ!
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