Hello everyone, how are you? I'm just hoping you're fine. Vaccines started to boom and become widely known when COVID-19 hit the world. Several countries and individuals are trying to develop a vaccine. But, ironically, there's a lot of negativity surrounding vaccines. On social media, I've heard many crazy theories about vaccines.
But, long before that happened, I heard a crazy theory about the Hajj vaccine. Some Hajj pilgrims need to be vaccinated first. Are there any crazy theories attacking the vaccine? What? The vaccine is made from pigs. Can you imagine a vaccine for the Hajj pilgrimage being made from pigs? Hajj is one of the most difficult forms of worship to access.
There are many costs and expenses involved in the Hajj. Sometimes the waiting period is long. This means that during our pilgrimage, we need to be in a state of purity. Even Muslims are not allowed to eat pork, let alone a vaccine made from pork? This is very confusing news, even though it was still popular on Facebook.
The government, especially the Ministry of Religious Affairs, has clearly denied this claim. Then there's the COVID-19 vaccine. There are many theories on social media that lead ordinary people with low literacy to believe in this right. Social media is sometimes the reference point and is sometimes recognized as true, while verified media outlets are ignored.
A circulating theory about the COVID-19 vaccine is that it's embedded with a chip, which is monitored by the country that produces the vaccine. This chip can access us and see what we do. Even our location can be known by the vaccine maker. This story reminds me of a scene from an action movie with a detective story.
After this rumor circulated, several regions were reluctant to use the vaccine. In Indonesia, some regions refused the vaccine. In fact, they continued to gather as usual, without social distancing. Furthermore, the government's diplomacy to obtain the vaccine is seen as the sale of human data to people outside Indonesia.
In Indonesia, the narrative of a lone wolf is still very strong. This narrative truly makes me think illogically. This kind of theory drove me a little crazy during the pandemic. In the end, I only read news published by verified websites.
Another theory is that vaccines are made from pig and dog tissue. From this tissue, we can alter their behavior to become domesticated. There are many absurd theories on social media. They're even spread by word of mouth and shared by dubious accounts.
These theories really frustrate me. In fact, they're not true. I'm still alive and well. That's all I can share about this week's challenge. How are you doing? Have you found a theory similar to mine in your country? See you in the next story.
My name is Nurdiani Latifah. I live in Jakarta – Indonesia, and after 25 years I live in Bandung. I am a media staff at an NGO in Indonesia. I have worked in this institution for almost 2 years on issues of women and peace. I have been a journalist in Bandung for 3 years.
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