As the drive to ensure that more people take the COVID-19 Vaccine, Health Practitioners have also joined in the campaign to ensure that this goal is achieved. Speaking during a special COVID-19 Awareness Program aired on KT 103.9 FM brought by Comrade Friday Bako with support from MacArthur Foundation and CITAD, Nurse Kizito Ndak pointed out that despite the challenges encountered accessing personal protective equipment (PPE), Health Practitioners have a role to play in ensuring that more people take the COVID-19 vaccines.
He noted that one of the leading factors responsible for the low uptake of the COVID-19 Vaccines include the number of vaccines made available to the population. He lamented that despite 29 million doses of the COVID-19 Vaccine arriving Nigeria, only 4.4% of the population have been vaccinated. He stressed that health workers who have taken the COVID-19 Vaccine made efforts to encourage the public by uploading their pictures on Social Media.
He noted that health workers must first take the vaccine to protect themselves considering that they always interface with the public.
Nurse Kizito while narrating his experience engaging the public on the need to accept the COVID-19 Vaccine, noted that despite resistance from members of the public, it is important that the campaign continue despite the negative reactions. He noted that there are people who ordinarily would not take the COVID-19 Vaccine but following efforts by health workers, they have taken the COVID-19 Vaccine.
He noted the importance to educate rural dwellers to ensure that they also take the COVID-19 Vaccine and protect them as well, so that those in the cities who have taken the vaccine are not at risk when they visit rural areas.
A caller who called in to contribute asked if he could take the booster dose despite not taking the 2nd dose. He stressed that anytime he went to the center where he took the first dose, he was told that the 2nd dose is not available.
In making attempts to disabuse the minds of the public about the apprehension that greet the COVID-19 Vaccine, Nurse Kizito pointed out that health workers need to equip themselves with the necessary information needed to promote the public to take the vaccine. He stressed that health Practitioners need to use every opportunity available in both formal and informal means to engage people of the importance taking the COVID-19 Vaccine.
He advised Government to engage a lot of people to come into the health sector in order to help improve the health sector, stressing the need for training and retraining health workers to ensure efficiency of health workers.
Nurse Kizito noted that the end point is to ensure that Herd Immunity is achieved, a situation where majority of the population are immune to COVID-19, hence ensuring a safer society. He called on stakeholders to unite to ensure that the vaccines are taken.
Nurse Kizito encouraged a caller who called in inquire on how to known which of the COVID-19 Vaccines is not expired that every person has a right to ask to know the expiry date of the vaccine before it is administered.
Nigeria Star News 