Covid-19: Agency says risk communication is critical to vaccine acceptance

The National Primary Health Care Development Agency said Risk Communication remains the best strategy to enable people make informed decisions  as regards accepting Covid-19 vaccines.

The Executive Director of the agency, Dr Faisal Shuaib  said this in Abuja at the National Joint Media briefing by the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 in Nigeria.

Dr Faisal said the Presidential Task Force was always ready to listen to the concerns raised by Nigerians and to explain to them.

“Once Nigerians are given the information, our experience in the last twenty to thirty years with Polio eradication is that they usually come around. You have to get the right information and get the right people that they listen to,” he said

While answering questions from the Media, he noted with optimism that the PTF would not have to get to a point of enforcing the vaccines on the populace.

“For example it could be somebody who is abusing religious reasons for not wanting to take a vaccine, but if you bring his religious leader who understands even better than we do to explain that it is not against the religion, then absolutely we will find that Nigerians will accept.”

“I do not think it will come to a situation where we will ever have to force people to take the vaccine. We are going to work extra hard to make sure that people understand and I believe that people will come around”, he stated.

Dr Faisal Shu’aib further charged the Media to continue to play its role by providing meaningful, relevant and accurate information to the audience for better understanding.

Nneka Ukachukwu