This morning, Nicki Minaj was trending on Twitter after posting a series of tweets that implied she was hesitant about receiving the coronavirus vaccine.
‘They want you to get vaccinated for the Met,’ she tweeted. ‘If I get vaccinated it won’t for the Met. It’ll be once I feel I’ve done enough research. I’m working on that now. In the meantime my loves, be safe. Wear the mask with 2 strings that grips your head & face. Not that loose one.’
While the tweet received over 60,000 likes, it has also resulted in extensive backlash for promoting vaccine hesitancy to her 22.6million followers. Particularly, because in later tweets she used her own experiences to invalidate scientific research, including one story about a friend who became impotent after having the vaccine – leading the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) to put out a statement confirming that there is no evidence Covid-19 vaccines cause male fertility problems.
Now, some took the time to try and educate Minaj on both the efficacy of the vaccine and the power of her platform.
But many also took the opportunity to meme and troll her too.
Of course, there’s validity to lots of the replies questioning what ‘research’ an average person can really do that would supersede the 18 months of extensive work expert scientists have done to create the coronavirus vaccines, let alone the decades of research that have contributed to vaccine science. There’s validity to the anger some may feel at such a powerful person sharing opinions that could put further lives in danger by encouraging anti-vaxxer sentiment. But beyond that, there is also room for empathy.
Nicki Minaj’s thoughts on vaccines are not uncommon. While she did not state that she was an anti-vaxxer, instead encouraging people to get the vaccine if it’s mandated by their workplace, in the USA as a whole 22% of Americans define themselves proudly as ‘anti-vaxxers’. In the UK, the Centre for Countering Digital Hate(CDCH) recently found that anti-vaxxer beliefs are followed by more than 5.4million people.
In fact, when the CDCH infiltrated a private anti-vaxxer conference as part of their investigation into vaccine misinformation, they found that a common tactic of such groups was to train members in identifying friends and family members who are ‘vaccine hesitant’ and persuading them to the anti-vax cause.
Reacting with anger, derision and condemnation only results in defensiveness and polarisation.
Looking at Nicki Minaj’s tweets over the course of the evening, you can see how quickly the conversation escalates from vaccine hesitancy to anti-vaxxer sentiments. While her first tweet expresses an intent to better understand that vaccine before receiving it, the subsequent reaction from followers snowballs into her sharing misinformed and scientifically inaccurate stories. Reacting with anger, derision and condemnation then, only results in defensiveness and thus, further polarisation between those who trust the science and who wish to persuade people against it.
Is condemning Nicki Minaj really the right course of action then? If the goal of conversing with someone hesitant about the vaccine is to convince them to trust the science - on a global stage at that – should we not all take the time to address Nicki’s concerns in an empathetic and educational manner?
While Nicki is in a position of privilege thanks to the immense wealth and opportunity her talents as a rapper have afforded her, of the 22million people watching this conversation unfold online, there’s no doubt that some of them will not have the same access to education as she does now - if she chose to undertake it. Some of her followers may be young or uneducated or scientifically illiterate, and thus simply need a more accessible approach to education on vaccine science.
With that in mind, having this conversation in a healthy way is imperative to changing minds and reducing the harm done by anyone with a platform expressing anti-vaxxer sentiment. So, how do you talk to someone who is hesitant about the vaccine in a healthy way?
Well, the World Health Organisation laid that all out for us earlier this year as part of their Vaccines Explained series. Here's four of their top tips for having the vaccine conversation...
Listen with empathy
‘Start by listening with empathy to those who have questions around vaccination,’ they advise. ‘Don’t dismiss them, and acknowledge how they’re feeling without necessarily agreeing, for example “It’s okay to have questions, or want more information before getting a vaccine”’.
Ask open-ended questions
‘Such as “What have you heard about the COVID vaccines?” or “Why do you feel that way?”. These questions elicit a response other than “yes” or “no” and can help you better understand their concerns, and might also assist the other person in working through their thoughts.’
Share trusted information
‘When you don’t know the answer or if you’re unsure about how to address their concern, offer to help look for information. Asking for their permission might make them more willing to listen to you rather than feeling like you’re pushing unwanted information on them.
‘You can visit the WHO website to find answers to common questions on vaccination, COVID-19 vaccines and COVID-19 vaccine safety. You can also check your local health department website or consult with other trusted and expert sources such as your doctor or nurse.’
Explore reasons for wanting to get vaccinated
‘When discussing vaccination, nothing works as well as getting personal,’ the WHO concludes. ‘Share your own reasons for wanting to get vaccinated and, if you’re in a position to, your experience of vaccination.
‘Talk to them about how getting vaccinated against COVID-19 could offer a path back to normalcy. Explain the benefits of vaccination, whether it’s being able to visit family and friends again, return to the office, get children back to school, spend time with classmates or other interactions and activities that have been strained because of COVID-19.
‘If you previously had concerns that you worked through, and ended up getting vaccinated against COVID-19, share what helped reassure you. Describe how vaccination will help protect you, your family and your community and bring back the activities and pleasures of life that we’ve gone without.’
Ultimately, it all comes down to have a productive conversation rather than shutting down or condemning a person for being concerned. If taking a breath and responding with patience helps change their mind, you might find that this conversation could actually be life-saving.
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