To get people to use face masks, we need solidarity, not shaming

These things happen in quick succession now. On Friday, Boris Johnson floated the idea of making face coverings mandatory in shops in England (it is already compulsory in Scotland). Within hours, social media was filled with accounts pushing back; a sea of angry and confused individuals whipping each other into a fury against the possible new rules. “Masks restrict oxygen intake,” say some. “It contravenes my human rights,” say others.

It would be easy to laugh or to shame such people but – as lockdown ends and safety measures become even more important – we would be much better served by considering what’s causing a minority to react in this way, and how we can tackle it.

A recent snap poll by the Guardian suggested the majority of commuters are following the rules and wearing masks on public transport; nine in 10 were wearing face coverings while travelling, but a small number are still refusing. Among the reasons given included a belief that masks provide little or no protection from catching Covid-19 and that the virus was a conspiracy linked to the 5G network or media exaggerations. Research by the Royal Society shows Britain has a much lower uptake of face masks than the US and elsewhere in Europe. In late April, the UK had about 25% uptake, compared with 83.4% in Italy, 65.8% in the US and 63.8% in Spain.

It is hardly surprising the British (well, English) public are unsure when there is little clarity to be found coming from ministers. Last week the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, did a photoshoot in which he served food in an enclosed space but didn’t bother to wear PPE. After Johnson suggested face masks would become compulsory in England, Michael Gove promptly went on the BBC on Sunday to say the opposite. Forty-five thousand deaths on, the government is still debating whether it might be a good idea to cover our faces in public.

In the fight against coronavirus, we are facing a battle on multiple fronts: flawed government messaging, slow ministerial action, conspiracy and old-fashioned individualism. Just look at vaccines. In recent months, hopes for a coronavirus vaccine have focused on how quickly an effective jab can emerge. But something else may be just as pressing: whether all the public will actually be willing to be vaccinated. New research shows almost one in six Britons say they would refuse a Covid-19 vaccine if and when one becomes available. A similar number said they are unsure whether they would have one.

This is partly down to the very specific issue of growing anti-vaccine sentiment, and the failure of tech companies to tackle it during the pandemic: the survey found people who get the majority of their news from traditional media were nine percentage points more likely to say they would “definitely” or “probably” get any coronavirus vaccine than those who get their information from social media.

But it is also about behaviour and the role of government in shaping it. Vaccinations, like face masks, are a classic example of collective responsibility: we each agree to an action on the basis others will too.

Related: Ministers have struggled to wear a mask. Do they think it makes them look weak? | Catherine Bennett

In the coming months, ministers must not only put out clearer messaging on safety measures but work to encourage the population to follow them. It is not too early for a public information programme on the safety of vaccines; it is better to prepare the ground so that we are ready for when one becomes available. The government says it will issue fresh guidance on face masks this week, but making them mandatory in shops is an obvious step and a campaign to go alongside it at this late stage will also be useful, particularly one that targets men and the gender stereotype it is “weak” or “girly” to wear a mask. Research shows white men are the least likely to wear a mask.

The most effective campaign, however, will not only teach the science behind the rules but the ethics too. The government can talk openly and proudly about how wearing a face mask means helping to protect grandparents and neighbours with asthma, many of whom are still forced to shield indoors. Or how having a vaccine ourselves will help those who can’t – such as high-risk people who will not be immunised for health reasons. The social contract is clear: if you want the right to use a public space during a pandemic, you have a duty to think of others. Ministers wearing a mask themselves on camera would be a start.

For all the rules and guidance, tackling a public health emergency relies on a very human touch. It is a shared code of behaviour: that we are safer when we act together. That you work to protect me, and I in turn do the same for you. Johnson – the epitome of self-concern and flippancy – is far from the ideal leader for these times, but he is going to have to find it in himself for the safety of the public. For once, that well-worn line of Tory rhetoric is actually true: we really are all in this together.

• Frances Ryan is a Guardian columnist