Health experts have hailed efforts made which has led to low infections and low transmissions of COVID-19 recorded currently, though they have warned that the COVID-19 is still real. They have also attributed the reduction in the effect of COVID-19 to the increased number of Vaccinations despite Vaccine hesitancy.
This was disclosed by Protagonists of the PHA4GE Project, a COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Campaign to reduced hesitancy in communities. The team consist of Sophia Osawe – Virologist, Program Manger and Research Manager at the Institute for Human Virology, Dr Rejoice Abinuku – Doctor of Medical Micro Biology Coordinator P IHVN Research Center and Dr Hamid Abdulahi Abidemi – Coordinator Plateau State Human Virology Center as guests on the Special COVID-19 Awareness brought by Comrade Friday Bako with support from the CITAD and MacArthur Foundation on KT FM 103.9 FM.
They noted that the huge quantum of misinformation from Social Media is responsible for the level of apprehension that greets the issue of COVID-19 and the COVID-19 Vaccine, stressing that the Social Media is not the best place to get information about COVID-19.
They noted that a lot effort has been exerted in the research on COVID-19, the research produced a number of vaccines which are available across the world. They cautioned the public not to see the efforts made by scientists as issues that can be easily waved off, urging them to appreciate the very rigorous work that has been put in research leading to the production of vaccines.
They noted that the COVID-19 Vaccine uptake figures are still low in Africa because the vaccines were usually manufactured outside the continent, vaccines that are mostly donated to the continent. In Nigeria, they noted that the number of vaccinated segment of the Nigerian population is less than 10%, stressing that Herd-Immunity won’t be achieved with the low figures.
They called for more action to encourage the public to take the COVID-19 Vaccine. They lamented how that the hesitancy for COVID-19 Vaccine is even among educated persons. They called the attention of the public not to take the information about the vaccines hook, line and sinker without verifying with health professionals.
They noted that vaccines only have short term effects, which are common and do not incapacitate the person who takes the vaccine. They debunk claims that the COVID-19 Vaccine has unknown long term effects. They lamented how that people no longer believe scientists, which is chiefly the reason why communities were hesitant towards taking the COVID-19 Vaccine.
They identified the poor contribution of governments in Africa especially regarding health research, stressing that virtually all health research ongoing are sponsored by foreign interventions. They decried the poor state of things in the health sector which has seen many Africans travel abroad to get good health services. They stressed that there are grave consequences if people don’t accept the COVID-19 Vaccine.
Nigeria Star News 