The COVID-19 pandemic

[danbrotherston]

Religious, in some cases, yes. But cultural?

Yes. Not cultural in the traditional sense of the word, nor in the sense that it's part of the cultural belief. Perhaps it's more accurate to say subcultural...? Ranging from anti-vaccinators, the far right, new age health freaks. They all adhere to cultural niches.

Arguably, Indigenous cultures are hesitant as well. We have a lot of our people who were initially hesitant to be vaccinated or still are, due to what white people did to us in the past.

I mean the question of what is "culture" vs. what is an individual personality quirk is pretty philosophical. But you're definitely right that alternative health folks are probably comfortably on the culture side of that equation.