ABSTRACT
Already in 2019, WHO singled out the increase of vaccine hesitancy as one of the ten most important and urgent threats to global health. Little did people know then of the heated vaccine discussions waiting around the corner, spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic that set some countries on something reminiscent of a war footing. The mass vaccinations against the coronavirus in the early 2020s were seen by many as a blessing that promised a return to normalcy after lockdowns and other social restrictions. But some citizens actively resisted vaccination, claiming that the vaccines were not safe and questioning the public authorities’ trustworthiness. At the same time, the Nordic region is regarded as a world leader when it comes to societal trust. This tension between the high-trust Nordic societies and the distrust in the COVID-19 vaccines among a minority is in focus in this volume. It also gives insights into the political tensions between these neighbouring nations, and the public discourses taking place in the region during intense phases of the pandemic. The book explores three interrelated research themes: Nordic societal trust under stress; COVID-19 in Nordic public discourses; and the growing chorus on the margin.
