The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), says public hesitancy, unwillingness, and conspiracies against the COVID-19 vaccines have continued to hinder the speedy vaccination of Nigerians.
It also said this is making efforts of the government, partners, and donors unreciprocated.
UNICEF Health Specialist, Dr Olufemi Adeyemi, said this at a two-day media dialogue jointly organised by the Child Rights Information Bureau (CRIB),of the Federal Ministry of Information and UNICEF in Enugu,Enugu State, Nigeria.
Adeyemi, the UNICEF Field Officer, Enugu, said that these theories which remained unfounded made people hesitant unwilling to accept the COVID 19 Vaccines
He reiterated that COVID-19 was a major threat to life and existence in Nigeria and around the world and urged the media to actively engage the public by disseminating correct and timely messages about the pandemic.
Adeyemi called on the public not to allow themselves to be misinformed about COVID-19 and the vaccines, adding that the vaccines were safe and remains most effective way to manage the spread of the virus.
“Considerable progress is being made by the Federal Government, UNICEF, and other development agencies to ensure the spread of COVID-19 pandemic is brought under control through the importation of vaccines and accessibility to vaccines.”
“We, however, face serious challenges in the areas of public hesitancy, unwillingness, and conspiracies against the COVID-19 vaccines, making efforts of government, partners, and donors unreciprocated.”
Adeyemi added that media sensitisation and education had enabled the rapid and widespread reach of public health information.
Presenting a paper on, Debunking ‘Rumors and Conspiracy Theories against COVID-19 Vaccines/Vaccination’ Dr. Obasi Chikezie, Community Medicine Department, Enugu State University Teaching Hospital (ESUT), said that complacency, lack of confidence, and convenience were some of the reasons many persons remained hesitant to get vaccinated.
He said that Nigeria was in the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic with about 200,000 confirmed cases and more than 2,000 deaths, making it imperative for the Federal Government to sustain investment in COVID-19.
Chikezie said that investment in COVID-19 also remained important as older persons were at a higher risk of dying when infected by the virus.
“Once you are vaccinated against any disease, it is the most cost-effective way of managing diseases and solves challenges that come with lack of access to health from the individual and public health perspective.
“The treatment of COVID-19 is very expensive, and 95 face masks costs 2,500 which is more expensive than the vaccine and in isolation centres we use more than 200 pieces of these masks.
“You can imagine how expensive this is. If you refuse to take the vaccine, it is just like saying that since a seatbelt does not protect you from an accident let me not use it.
“Taking the vaccine helps to ensure prevention from the virus, achieve immunity, reduce the severity of the disease, and achieve faster world containment of the virus,’’ he said.
He criticised the myths around COVID-19 vaccines, saying that those peddling conspiracy theories about the vaccines were persons who were not health experts and lacked knowledge about the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said that some of the myths spreading about the COVID-19 vaccines includes death after two years and that vaccinated bodies magnet metal and/or ignite electric bulb.
“Other myths are that the vaccine changes DNA, there are chips in the vaccine, the vaccine causes infertility/depopulation, weakness after vaccination, and convulsion”
“Some of the vaccines are fake Chinese vaccines, Billgate Foundation has withdrawn from distributing vaccines and the vaccines are associated with 666. All these myths were invented by individuals; there is no truth or fact to any of them.
“Anybody that has a smartphone, what you know about the phone is what you have been enabled to know. These phones are monitored but you do not know, your phone can snap your picture without your knowledge.
“So, how will someone produce vaccines just to monitor you meanwhile you willingly bought a phone with your money which is being used to monitor you 24hrs of the day.”
He added that pregnant women were, however, exempted from getting vaccinated including those with a severe allergy to any component of COVID-19 vaccines.
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