COVID-19: The need for proper vaccine education of masses

Narratives of COVID-19 in Nigeria have been coloured with dynamics. From the onset of the outbreak in the Country in February, 2020, till date, controversies have not ceased from the narratives of the clouds gathering around the pandemic in Nigeria. The definitions of patterns which have coloured the orientation of the pandemic has been clustered with conflicting views. Such controversies have largely seen divergent perspectives roving around the pandemic.

Fighting the pandemic itself would have to contend against the disarray of perceptions which have gathered around the subject. Addressing the subject from the onset has had to do with even the contention on the existence of the reality of the virus itself. In Nigeria, there has been a difficulty to have many believe that the virus does really exist. The belief that all efforts by the Government to combat the virus was another stage performance and a sinister move by the those in power to starch money into their private pockets, was a school of thought that largely frustrated, to some degree, the fight to manage the pandemic. Those who largely subscribe to this school have over time brandished the perception that all  directives by the Government, particularly the restraints to movement at the wake of the lockdown, was an endeavour of the ruling class to further toughen the plight of the masses.

It appears the perception had recorded, and still informs, the flaunting of the safety protocols and guidelines issued by the Government to contain the virus. Even to the least protocol of putting on face masks, the Government, would at some point, have to resort largely to force to compel obedience to the directives.

An extension of the conspiracy school has grown to another level in the process of vaccination, as another stage in the evolution of responses to the management of the global pandemic. While the response of nationals of other Countries, particularly in the advanced world, have largely recorded elaborate outcome of citizen’s turnout with positive disposition to be vaccinated in doses as new development takes effect, the narratives in Nigeria has largely been mixed. Among the mixed disposition, has been those of outright resistance which has greeted the vaccination exercise from some quarters. At this depth, has been the class of citizens, who come what may, would distance themselves from anything called COVID-19  vaccine  and would maintain a posture of convincing others not to do so, and in some critical posture, castigate those doing so.

At another level, are the indifferent class who would maintain their reservationd about the vaccines, but would get vaccinated if conditions so warrant – such as those processes demanding compulsory vaccination number to have access to certain demands.

The depth of the resounding degree of the indifference and outright condemnation of the vaccine in Nigeria have not permitted good result coming out of the process. At the worst has been the wastage of vaccines. It is irreconcilable that at the instance of global scarcity of the vaccines, rather than the process witnessing higher demands than supply, the expiration and destruction of vaccines in Nigeria have been on the high side. The resistance has largely been a reflection of the extension of the disbelief orientation still nurtured by many. The perspective remains critical. The Government has to resort to appealing to the senses of more citizens with stronger sensitisation campaign. This is more important as more vaccines sourced from outside  arrive the Country.

As disclosed, the Federal Government will today, Monday 7th, January, 2022, receive two million doses of J&J COVID-19 vaccine donated by the European Union. The formal handover of the vaccines to Nigeria is billed to take place at the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA’s National Strategic Cold Store, Bill Clinton Drive, Airport Road, Abuja. The donation is observed to be coming at the time the Government has commenced another phase of mass vaccination in its determination to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. The NPHCDA, through its Executive Director, Dr Faisal Shuaib, had recently expressed optimism that there would be improvement in the response to the vaccination exercise stating that: “We strongly believe that a more committed approach to implementing mass vaccination will lead to improved vaccine uptake. This is why our current vaccination phase emphasises state supervision support to ramp up vaccine uptake especially in low-performing States.”

While the reception of a large number of vaccines is a welcome idea, it is indisputable that the Government would have the slug of popular rejection perception and indifference to the vaccines, to contend with. It would be recalled that in December, the government had to withdraw about 1,066,214 of expired AstraZeneca vaccines donated to it by foreign agencies and governments. The withdrawn vaccines were subsequently destroyed on December 23, 2021 at Gosa Dumsite, at Kilometer 2, near Idu Railway Station, in Abuja. Recall that Nigeria introduced booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine on the 10th of December 2021, following the recommendation by WHO for people who have received two doses of AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer Bio-N-Tech or one dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccines. According to records, only about 416,980 Nigerians have received their booster dose, while about  4,093,873 eligible persons have so far received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine in Nigeria, and only 5,252,406 of over 200million eligible Nigerians have been fully vaccinated.

The need for broader coordination of efforts to sensitise Nigerians, many of who still nurture reservations and apprehension over the vaccines, is sacrosanct. This becomes necessary to avoid the rising wastage of vaccines as they arrive the Country. The road to having a broad record of larger percentage of citizens being vaccinated demands increasing appeals to the perception of the masses. This is essential to clear the doubt of critical thoughts, of which at some point have seen hardened perception of the vaccination exercise as calculated attempts to wipe off the masses. All opinion moulding institutions from local, to the regional and national level of jurisdiction have roles to play as the phenomenon assumes corrosive dimension, which the scourge of COVID-19 pandemic represents as a public health emergency itself.