You will conduct independent research to address the social responses to the COVID-19 vaccines. This research is the basis for your other final assignment (public health flyer). In particular, you will look at scholarly ways to explain the impact of these vaccines on individual, public and global health as well as the various reasons why some refuse to get the vaccine. Is it just the COVID-19 vaccine? Any one particular COVID-19 vaccine? Or is it perhaps a stance against all vaccines? Are all those who do not want to get vaccinated “anti-vaxers”? Address this assignment in two steps; 1) You should aim at creating a comprehensive picture of the different positions in relation to the COVID-19 vaccines. Identify the various reasons why certain groups in the population resist getting vaccinated against COVID. Pay attention to the evidence and assess it critically. These first step is critical for your next final assignment. 2) Once you map out the various positions for and against vaccination, look at issues of vulnerabilities and equity of access. Here you may want to utilize any of the analytical frameworks covered in this class (e.g., structural violence, vertical and horizontal financing and power, stigma, etc.).
You will need to use a minimum of FIVE scholarly sources (peer-reviewed journal articles, scholarly books, government reports). You may also use some news articles to complement the information from the scholarly sources -these should inform the bulk of your analysis. JSTOR (via the UTEP) is an excellent database for research sources. In total, you need to use a total of TEN sources, minimum.