Scottish Studies Zoom Talk
Debunking the Vaccine Hesitancy Myth
an online talk by Sylvia Valentine
Friday, June 11, 2021
11 a.m. (Toronto) - 4 p.m. (UK)
Since the cancellation of all our in-person events we invite you join us online via Zoom as we present a series of talks on a variety of topics of interest to Scots worldwide and which will allow "attendees" to participate and to ask questions.
The next in this series will be given by University of Dundee PhD candidate Sylvia Valentine whose research has uncovered evidence blasting the myth that vaccine hesitancy is a modern phenomenon in Scotland.
In the light of the COVID-19 pandemic, anti-vaccine sentiments have been on the rise with the blame for this being placed on modern social media, fake news and celebrity influence, but Sylvia Valentine has found evidence confirming that vaccine scepticism was present in Scotland more than 150 years ago.
She said, "Myriad factors, including nationalism, vegetarianism, religious doctrine and the defence of civil liberties helped galvanise the movement and bring anti-vaccinators from disparate backgrounds together. While modern technology enables the ability to connect with a global audience, the aims, beliefs and objections of 21st century anti-vaccinators share many parallels with their Victorian and Edwardian forebears." (Read more about Sylvia and her talk here.)
To register for this event, kindly contact David Hunter by email at davidhunter@scottishstudies.com. You will then be sent the appropriate Zoom login information. Please register no later than Thursday, June 10th. This is a free event, but a donation would be appreciated. All donations will go to our Undergraduate Scholarship Campaign.
You can donate, either online by clicking on the PayPal button above, or by mail using our donation form which you can access here. Your support will be greatly appreciated.
The Scottish Studies Foundation is a Canadian charitable organization (No.119253490 RR0001). For Canadian residents, a tax receipt will be issued for donations in excess of $10.