In this paper, I provide an extensive description and a critical discursive analysis of texts disseminated by the media in an attempt to determine why the majority of Slovenes are sceptical about COVID-19 vaccines. The analysis focuses on the macrosocial approach, which examines the relationship between discourse on one side and ideology, hegemony, and authority on the other. Biopolitical discourse is the reason why sceptics in Slovenia remain critical, question everything related to COVID-19, and distrust specialists and decision-making authorities. Biopolitical elements can be perceived in crisis management, stigmatization of the unvaccinated, segregation, panopticism, opposition between the adopted measures and results, emergence of newer versions of the virus, a decree determining and confirming the non-compliance of adopted measures with the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia, a report presenting vaccination ambassadors, their tasks, and ways of promoting vaccination among all age groups, (non-)transparency of specialists and authorities towards the public, and capitalism, which can be detected in all areas of life, including medicine. In this study, I tried to determine the reason behind the use of biopolitical discourse in the context of COVID-19 vaccines.
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