New York group protests World Health Organization and vaccine mandates

A group advocating against vaccine mandates protested in New York City on September 18th and 19th. The protest occurred when the WHO and the United Nations convened to discuss key takeaways from the COVID-19 pandemic and strategies for better preparedness against future pandemics. Demonstrators claimed that the WHO is attempting to exert control over global public health by enforcing worldwide lockdowns and mandating so-called “experimental mRNA gene therapies” in response to future pandemics.

Risk level: Low

Recommendation: These types of events promote vaccine hesitancy by presenting a narrative that vaccines are not adequately tested before public distribution and that vaccine mandates are motivated by authoritarianism rather than public health concerns. While questions about lockdowns and mandates may not arise in a clinical setting, it is recommended that doctors be prepared for questions about the safety and efficacy of vaccines and emphasize that vaccines are rigorously tested before they become available to the public.