Doctors Cautiously 'Encourage' Not to Vaccinate for Now: 'Zhoghovurd'

'Zhoghovurd' newspaper reports that citizens of Armenia are facing a serious dilemma—whether to get vaccinated or not. There is a significant amount of misinformation in this area, especially coming from non-professional sources, which often confuses people. Individuals are confronted with the question of whether to vaccinate or not, and most of them choose the latter option.

Many citizens have even approached the 'Zhoghovurd' newspaper to express that they are inclined to consult a doctor to discuss vaccination options, only to return disappointed. The issue is that many doctors are cautiously 'encouraging' patients to wait and not get vaccinated, which confuses some of their patients.

On this topic, 'Zhoghovurd' interviewed Mary Ter-Stepanian, an associate professor at the Department of Epidemiology of Yerevan State Medical University, who confirmed that there is also misinformation being disseminated by doctors. 'I find this to be the most painful aspect of this process. Doctors, being well-informed, sometimes express their subjective opinions, which leads people into natural confusion. When a doctor begins to doubt, it is natural for a non-specialist to start doubting as well,' said the expert, noting that more than 90 percent of healthcare workers in the USA are vaccinated, while this number is quite low in Armenia.

'However, considering our vaccination coverage, I can confidently say that the number among healthcare workers is also not high. If a healthcare worker themselves is not confidently getting vaccinated, they cannot speak confidently about the effectiveness of the vaccine. This is about any vaccine and any preventive measure,' the specialist stated.

For more details, see today's issue of the newspaper.