Hogwash rituals and practices cannot cure Covid-19

 From Moaz Nair

Vaccination, when available, is still the best option to provide immunity against contagious diseases.

However, there seems to be a lack of interest in a segment of our society to get themselves vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus. Some, unfortunately, are influenced by social media scuttlebutt and the anti-vaccine fragment of society.

Or, possibly, they are ill-informed which leads them to believe they can button the virus through some religious or traditional rituals.

Such remedies usually do not work, yet many have fallen into this perilous pit only to realise that their efforts were proven to be in vain. Sadly, there is a continued belief in the delusion despite contrary evidence. Long years of education in schools and colleges have failed to enlighten them towards accepting scientific knowledge in battling diseases.

The use of their intellect is absent in this context. They fall short of thinking critically and they even lack knowledge or refuse to explore the history of vaccination. And many, too, have this inherent prejudice against anything that is based on science or that which comes from the West.

Owe a lot to science

History has long proven that diseases have been put under control with evidence-based medicine. No religious, traditional or feel-good rituals have thus far proven to have treated diseases inflicting humans. In fact, all living things today owe a lot to science for their continued existence.

Scientists may not be religious figures or soothsayers but they are the pioneers of vaccination. It took many years to develop treatments for contagious diseases and it began with the long history of infectious diseases in humans. Imagine the tragedies to human lives without the discovery of these vaccines.

Vaccines for polio, smallpox, measles, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, anthrax, cholera, plague, typhoid, tuberculosis, mumps varicella (chickenpox), rotavirus, hepatitis A, meningococcal vaccine (MCV), human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV), among others, were developed through the efforts of scientists and not via religious and traditional sacraments.

Scientists have spent active time for vaccine research, development and innovations, greatly reducing the disease burden on human lives. These vaccines underwent medical and technological experiments and changes over many years, and eventually resulted in the eradication of some of the death-threatening diseases.

Vaccinology began in the West in the 18th century when the first smallpox vaccine was developed. The precursors of modern immunology in the late 19th century disseminated the germ theory of disease, paving hope that all infectious diseases could be prevented by prophylactic vaccination, and also treated by therapeutic vaccination.

Then came innovative techniques in driving vaccine research, with recombinant DNA technology and new delivery techniques that have led scientists in new directions. Disease targets have expanded, and some vaccine research is beginning to focus on non-infectious conditions such as addiction and allergies.

False remedies

Surprisingly, many of those against vaccination are “educated” and yet they opt for some senseless reasons and schemes to deter or create doubts among the masses that vaccination is not the solution to curbing the spread of the Covid-19 virus.

As an alternative, they are convincing the masses to resort to some dubious religious or traditional rites and arguably quoting some erratic religious sources and traditions.

The belief is that they can do just fine by resorting to “spiritual ways” of protecting themselves from infection by chanting mantras and performing rituals which are complete bunkum.

Apparently, many can be influenced by these pseudo-religionists or practitioners. Some have even resorted to shamans and seances for protection and the druids are making a living out of this hoax.

Why must they have so much prejudice against modern evidence-based medicine that has proven to eradicate so many death-threatening diseases in the past and present?

These preachers or practitioners of gibberish remedies should be nipped in the bud. They are causing more confusion than helping the nation rein in the virus. As such, those with religious background and those bent on tenuous cultural traditions should stop claiming that vaccination against Covid-19 is not the solution to the present pandemic. Tweak their scheme of things before more people are influenced by their tomfooleries.

In the present dire situation, there is no other solution other than for Malaysians to be vaccinated. Society has to be educated into accepting that hogwash rituals and practices cannot contain the virus.

Moaz Nair is an FMT reader.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.