Experts state that people who do not get vaccinated despite being eligible and having made appointments are making a very big mistake, emphasizing the importance of vaccination. Üsküdar Üniversitesi Faculty of Medicine Dean, Head of Public Health Department Prof. Dr. Haydar Sur, made evaluations regarding the increasing Covid-19 cases and the measures taken. Emphasizing that vaccination is the only weapon in the fight against the pandemic, Prof. Dr. Haydar Sur draws attention to the fallacy of vaccine hesitancy.
“Sociologists’ opinions should also be taken into account!”
Stating that not only health experts but also sociologists’ opinions should be taken into account in decisions made during the fight against the pandemic, Prof. Dr. Haydar Sur said, “Asking only healthcare professionals about the decision to shut down the entire society is a bit unfair to us. There are impossible situations in practice. We are health experts. We are not experts in social governance. They should also have a say in these decisions. I think that social psychology is not being managed. We can say that a sense of weariness has emerged in society.”
Stating that one segment of society complies with the recommendations of authorized institutions and experts, while another segment does not adhere to the rules, Prof. Dr. Haydar Sur said the following:
“There is a 30% inconsiderate group that disregards the rules…”
“While 70% of the people in our society are strictly adhering to all measures recommended by the ministry, other experts, and us, and are committed to protecting themselves well; there is an inconsiderate 30% group. They disregard the rules. Some of these may stem from economic hardship or necessities. We need to respect them, and I emphasize that. But we also see people going out just because they are bored and want to socialize. You see the situation on Istiklal Avenue in Beyoğlu, Istanbul. Not all the people there went to earn a living. You can't even drop a needle, and when asked what they are doing there, they say, ‘I came for breakfast with friends.’ If there is a crowd coming for breakfast with friends in a place where you can't even drop a needle, during a period with 50,000 cases a day, it means there is a very big problem here, and healthcare professionals cannot solve it. We only produce messages suitable for health techniques and methods, but how these messages are delivered to the target audience is not our job. Our mass communication experts need to get involved here. The language we speak is not the language they adopt.”
“A sense of weariness has emerged in society!”
Prof. Dr. Haydar Sur stated that a sense of weariness has emerged in society during this process, and said, “We are now heading towards something, and I say this with fear: If we put those who have been loyal until now into the psychosis of ‘I won’t comply anymore. What has happened has happened, and what will happen will happen,’ we may further reduce the compliant 70% of the population we have. We are health scientists. We produce our message up to a point. After that, more professional experts on the subject need to be with us to implement it.”
Prof. Dr. Haydar Sur stated that the Ministry of Health is not the sole responsible party in this fight, and said that the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of National Education, the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Services, and municipalities should take a more active role alongside the Ministry of Health.
“The real reward this Ramadan will be not gathering together”
Prof. Dr. Haydar Sur stated that the current month of Ramadan is a holy month, with very valuable traditions such as crowded iftar tables, and said, “Iftar tables, suhoor tables that bring the family together, prayers and conversations during these times are beautiful customs that make Ramadan special. There is also a reward for them, but this year, those who do them will commit a sin. The real reward this year will come from not gathering together. Something that is for the benefit of humanity is called 'sevap' (reward/merit). If we sacrifice our pleasures to avoid causing others to fall ill, that is the reward in Ramadan. This year, the real reward will be performing the Tarawih prayer alone at home, not in congregation.”
“We have no other choice but vaccination!”
Prof. Dr. Haydar Sur also drew attention to people who do not get vaccinated despite being eligible and having made appointments, and said, “These people should come to their senses and get vaccinated as soon as possible. There have been many, many unnecessary discussions about vaccination. Unfortunately, these discussions gained more traction than they should have. This is an extremely worthless view. Throughout history, there have always been those who opposed vaccination. Vaccination has saved tens of millions of lives every year and will continue to do so. In the Coronavirus pandemic, we currently have no other choice but vaccination.”
“Vaccine hesitancy must be abandoned”
Prof. Dr. Haydar Sur noted that they are eagerly awaiting the deployment of Turkish vaccines as soon as possible, and said, “At least 50 million of the 80 million people should be vaccinated so that we can overcome this situation. There is no other way out on the horizon. People who are afraid of vaccination and try to find a thousand excuses for it should know that we have no other weapon than vaccination. You are taking this away from humanity. Have you considered how great the responsibility for this is? There is no worse behavior in life than criticizing something without offering a better alternative. Part of the problem is people who identify a problem but cannot produce a solution. At this point, I hope that vaccine hesitancy will be abandoned as soon as possible. I believe this will greatly benefit the health of our entire society.”
“If they do it by the rules, let them earn their living, we are not their enemies…”
Prof. Dr. Haydar Sur stated that although they are a minority, some people in society perceive the pandemic as less serious than it is, and some even deny it, saying, “These people were able to stir up indifference towards this disease. For example, a marketplace is a place where many people earn their living. But if you take off your mask and shout ‘Come, citizen, come,’ you risk spreading the virus to many people. This should not be done. If shopping is done from a distance of two meters, the risk of the marketplace can also be prevented. We are not enemies of those who earn their living there. We are not trying to create a message, but if they do it by the rules, let them earn their living, and we will manage the epidemic. God forbid, if one of our loved ones cannot find a bed in intensive care and dies in the middle of the street like in Italy, then who will bear the moral responsibility, the sin, and the burden of this? We are saying what is our duty. Risk management in good times and bad is the greatest responsibility for a Muslim, for a smart person of the 21st century. We must fulfill this.”