Lack of trust in government triggered vaccine disinformation during Covid pandemic, ministers warned
A lack of trust in the government is “significantly contributing” to fueling misinformation and low Covid-19 vaccine uptake in some communities in the UK, ministers have warned.
The latest Covid-19 research report, published on Thursday, warned that the government must rebuild trust in vaccines before another pandemic emerges as misinformation about vaccines continues to spread around the world, aided by social media.
Baroness Hallett, chair of the inquiry, found a “lack of trust and confidence in governments and health systems”, underlined by a “proneness to misinformation” regarding vaccines in the UK.
Although the inquiry concluded that Britain’s vaccine rollout was largely a “success story”, it found that some decisions, such as compulsory vaccinations for care home staff in England, were “political and not guided by clinical advice” and in some cases contributed to “alienation and increased vaccine hesitancy” in some groups.
He also recommended the government urgently reform the payment scheme for those injured by vaccines, almost doubling maximum payments from £120,000 to at least £200,000.
The report also found:
- The government must confront the problem of vaccine hesitancy around the world and think more about why some groups of people are reluctant or unable to access vaccines
- The rapid development of the vaccines has not compromised the UK’s stringent safety standards, and the vaccines have been developed with “remarkable speed” thanks to decades of global research and preparation.
- As of March 2023, 475,000 lives have been saved by jabs in England and Scotland.
- Mandatory vaccine decisions were “political and not based on clinical advice” and likely “contributed to alienation and increased vaccine hesitancy” in some groups
In a statement following the report’s publication, Lady Hallett said the government needed to “rebuild confidence and promote better understanding” of vaccines.
“This lack of trust in Covid-19 vaccines was to some extent a global problem and was fueled by the rapid sharing of misinformation online,” he said.
“However, it is clear that lack of trust and confidence in authority is also a significant contributing factor in the UK.
“Governments and health services must work with communities to rebuild trust and promote better understanding and confidence in vaccines.”
The report called on all four UK countries to take action to build confidence in communities where vaccine uptake is low and make them more accessible before the next outbreak.
The fourth UK Covid-19 Research report reveals how the country has used vaccines and treatments throughout the pandemic.
Lady Hallett described the program in the UK as a “phenomenal success” and praised the fact that the UK is a world leader in biomedical sciences, meaning it is well placed to develop and roll out vaccines quickly and at scale.
As of March 2023, 475,000 lives have been saved by jabs in England and Scotland, and millions more have been saved worldwide.
Lady Hallett said: “The vaccination program has been a remarkable success. Effective vaccines have been developed, produced and delivered to the majority of the population in record time.”
It also concluded that the rapid development of the vaccines did not compromise the UK’s stringent safety standards, finding that the vaccines were developed at “remarkable speed” following decades of global research and preparation.
But he also acknowledged that those injured by injections were disappointed, saying the payment plan they were offered urgently needed reform.
He said the government needed to act “urgently” to improve the scheme by almost doubling maximum payments to at least £200,000 from the current cap of £120,000, which was last revised in 2007.
The government was then told it should impose annual increases in line with inflation and “apply multiple levels of payments commensurate with the degree of injury suffered.”
The report also said the threshold for people being 60 per cent disabled should be removed, saying this “leaves nothing for people who have suffered a significant injury that affects the way they live but cannot meet the 60 per cent threshold”.
As of January 2025, out of 17,519 applications to the vaccine claims payment scheme for Covid vaccine-related issues, only 9,545 had been notified of results. This left almost 8,000 applicants undecided; More than 1,000 waited more than a year and 126 waited more than two years.
Regarding vaccine hesitancy, the research found that vaccine uptake was lower in poor communities and some ethnic minority groups, which could have been better planned for.
“Although the majority of people accepted the offer of vaccination, uptake was lower in areas of higher deprivation and in some ethnic minority communities,” he said.
“Many people’s concerns centered on the safety of the vaccines and possible side effects.”
Overall, Lady Hallett made five recommendations, including reforming the payment scheme; providing regulators with access to health care records to monitor the safety of new vaccines and treatments; To ensure the UK is well placed to develop, supply and manufacture vaccines and new treatments, and to establish a “pharmaceutical expert advisory panel” to produce targeted vaccine strategies and better monitor vaccine uptake and distribution.
The government said it had spent £111 million covering legal advice and staff costs to respond to the inquiry.
By the end of December, the investigation had spent just under £204 million, including set-up, chair and legal fees, and the holding of public hearings in four UK countries.
