New Telegraph

COVID-19: Misconceptions, myths threaten vaccine’s acceptance

As of May 2, 2021, there were 306,181 new cases of COVID-19 worldwide. The total number of deaths from COVID-19 has reached over 3.2 million. Rising cases in Brazil, India and Turkey may further spread the pandemic, but experts said taking the Coronavirus vaccine with a view to achieving needed herd immunity could curb the virus, reports APPOLONIA ADEYEMI

Long before the COVID-19 vaccination rollout at the local arena and the international community, misconceptions and myths about the medication were common. Hence it was comprehensible to hear that the vaccines were merely being produced as a money-making venture.

To this end, the Media especially the social media has been inundated with several unverified claims about the vaccine including statements that persons that are administered with the jab would ultimately become impotent; it causes serious illness or even death; its production has been too rapid it couldn’t have been safe, and that the 5G cell phone towers can exacerbate COVID-19 symptoms.

Some have even alleged that taking the vaccine is a microchip and a mark of the beast. As these misconceptions continue to gather storm in the country, it has resulted in COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, a term which encompasses outright refusal to vaccinate, delaying vaccines, accepting vaccines but remaining uncertain about their use, or using certain vaccines but not others.

How to reverse the trend through the dissemination of evidence- based information was part of the focus of a Three-Day Media Dialogue On Routine Immunisation, Post-Polio Certification And COVID-19 Vaccination’ by the Child Rights Information Bureau (CRIB) of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture in collaboration with UNICEF.

In her presentation at the media dialogue, which was held in Yola, Adamawa from April 13 to 15, 2021, UNICEF Communication For Development Specialist (C4D), Elizabeth Onitolo said vaccine hesitancy is not only a Nigerian problem, but a global challenge.

She said it is not only Nigerians that are exposed to misinformation about the vaccine, the traditional news sources particularly the social media remain the major source of the false claims. As the hesitancy continues to hinder vaccine acceptance, the new cases of coronavirus have been on the rise in advanced and developing countries.

As of May 2, 2021, there were 306,181 new cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) worldwide, according to ‘Statista’. The total number of deaths from COVID-19 has reached over 3.2 million. On its part, Nigeria as of April 1, announced 43 confirmed new coronavirus cases, bringing its total to 165,153, with 2,063 deaths. As at the time of filing this report, cases of coronavirus in three countries: Brazil, India and Turkey, have reached alarming rates.

Indian hospitals, morgues and crematoriums last week were reported to be overwhelmed as the country has reported more than 300,000 daily cases for more than 10 days straight. Similarly, in Brazil, new coronavirus cases have fallen off a late- March peak, but remain high by historical standards. Total deaths in the country are second only to the United States (U.S.).

On its part, Turkey imposed a nationwide ‘full lockdown’ on Thursday, April 29, expected to last until May 17, to curb a surge in coronavirus infections and deaths, with the world’s fourth highest number of cases and the worst on a per-capita basis among major nations. Experts fear that the virus could spread further into other regions, but said the availability of COVID-19 vaccines, has raised hope of curbing the virus.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) perceives vaccine hesitancy as one of the top ten global health threats. According to the world body, hesitancy stems from multiple key factors including a person’s lack of confidence (mistrust of the vaccine and/or healthcare provider), complacency (the person does not see a need for the vaccine or does not see the value of the vaccine), and convenience (access to vaccines). Vaccine hesitancy has existed since the invention of vaccination, and pre-dates the coining of the terms ‘vaccine’ and ‘vaccination’ by nearly 80 years.

The specific hypotheses raised by anti-vaccination advocates have been found to change over time. However, what cannot be controverted about it is that vaccine hesitancy often results in disease outbreaks and deaths from vaccinepreventable diseases. However, given the rising new coronavirus infections globally, it has become imperative to tackle vaccine hesitancy so as to pave the way for more Nigerians to get the jab.

The medical community has so far demonstrated readiness to make vaccines available. For instance, over 200 different vaccine trials are currently ongoing globally to ensure that the world community tackles the virus. In her presentation, Onitolo said collectively, Nigerians should agree to take the vaccine, which could pave the way for the country to achieve needed herd immunity. Herd immunity is a form of indirect protection from infectious disease that can occur with some diseases when a sufficient percentage of a population has become immune to an infection, whether through vaccination or previous infections, thereby reducing the likelihood of infection for individuals who lack immunity.

This could be achieved when between 70 per cent to 80 per cent of eligible persons become vaccinated. She reasoned: “If we leave 45 per cent of those who don’t want to be vaccinated we won’t achieve the result,” Onitolo added. Besides, taking the vaccination becomes necessary considering that many who are infected with coronavirus do not manifest symptoms because they are asymptomatic carriers, but they nonetheless could transmit the virus; this is part of the reason eligible Nigerians should endeavor to get the vaccination, she said. Speaking on the safety of the vaccines, Onitolo said, “Currently, over 40 million COVID-19 vaccine doses, which have been evaluated in tens of thousands of participants in clinical trials, have been administered in 50 mostly high income countries.

Apart from intense monitoring established to ensure their safety, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has provided technical guidelines and rigorous scientific standards that guarantee the vaccine safety. A Renown Virologist and former President of the Nigeria Academy of Science (NAS), Prof. Oyewale Tomori corroborated the safety of COVID-19 vaccines and debunked the misinformation about them. Based on the safety certification, he urged eligible Nigerians to take the jab and assured that it would protect them against the virus. On claims that COVID-19 vaccine exposes the body to disease, Tomori said on the contrary, on exposure to the body, the vaccine does not cause disease, but “provokes the body to mount an immune response that can block or kill the pathogen if a person becomes infected or exposed at another time to the same pathogen.” On how COVID-19 vaccines works, the virologist said, “COVID- 19 vaccines help our bodies develop immunity to the virus that causes COVID-19 without us having to get the illness.

“It takes a few weeks for the body to produce T-lymphocytes and B-lymphocytes after vaccination during which one can still be infected. “Sometimes, after vaccination, the process of building immunity can cause symptoms, such as fever.

However, these symptoms are normal and are a sign that the body is building immunity.” He also faulted those who claimed that the rapid production of COVID-19 vaccine may have jeopardised its safety profile, saying the outbreak of the SARS COV2 enabled today’s scientists to have something to build on. He said present day scientists built on the works done in yesteryears to tackle the then pandemic.

On what to do to tackle vaccine hesitancy, he said awareness campaigns on the benefits of the vaccine should be intensified, while calling on the Federal and state governments to coordinate their COVID-19 activities, harmonise their plans as well as speak with one voice so as to sustain progress so far achieved.

Tomori, however, warned that continued false complacency being demonstrated by some states including Kogi and Cross River states and the non-adherence to COVID-19 protocols by the majority of the populace could result in the outbreak of the third wave. Apart from his advocacy to Nigerians to accept the vaccine, he urged them to adhere to the protocols of social distancing, hand washing, observing hygiene, among others so as to keep the virus at bay.

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