Few relish a jab in the arm with a needle. If the syringe prevented Covid-19, then many might think it a pain worth suffering — but by no means all. Tens of thousands of anti-lockdown protesters gathered in Berlin over the weekend, some to voice their discontent at the possibility of being coerced by the state into getting vaccinated. The situation is far from unique to Germany. In Italy, where the broader anti-vaccination movement enjoys widespread support, both main anti-establishment parties campaigned last year against compulsory routine vaccinations for children. In the US, a fifth of people say they would never submit to inoculation against coronavirus; another third remain unsure. A recent online survey of UK residents showed a quarter would decline a vaccine if the government made it “available tomorrow”.
很少有人享受胳膊上被扎一针的感觉。如果注射疫苗能够预防新型冠状病毒肺炎（COVID-19，即2019冠状病毒病），那么很多人可能会认为这是值得忍受的疼痛——但绝非所有人都这样想。上周末，数万名反对封锁政策的抗议者聚集在柏林，其中一些人表达了对政府可能强迫他们接种疫苗的不满。这种情况绝非德国独有。在意大利，更大规模的反疫苗运动得到了广泛支持。去年，该国两个主要反建制政党都发起了反对给儿童强制性接种常规疫苗的运动。在美国，五分之一的人称他们永远不会接种新冠病毒疫苗；还有三分之一的人表示不确定。最近一项针对英国居民的在线调查显示，如果政府“明天就能提供”疫苗，四分之一的人将拒绝接种。