Africa-Press – Tanzania. AS the world feels caged by Coronavirus (Covid-19) and economies as well as social lives in one way or another must have been affected, it is worth praising the World Health Organisation (WHO) for constantly consulting governments and recommending way forward including opting for vaccination.
The goal of the vaccine (a biological preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious disease) is to keep people healthier longer, lower the risk of getting other diseases and in the realm of medicine- is one of the most powerful health interventions ever introduced to saves lives, whenever a pandemic rises.
As the government rolls out voluntary Covid-19 vaccines in the public, it is important that the same public is well informed of what a vaccine is.
How effective is it? Can I still get Covid-19 after the vaccine?
What are the common side effects of the Covid-19 vaccine? Fine, it scientifically contains weakened or inactive parts of a particular organism (antigen) that triggers an immune response within the body and likely to save lives, but is the public first notified of this?
If these kinds of questions are not addressed by health professionals in public awareness campaigns, quacks and related ‘bush-doctors’, traditional healer-you name them will exploit the chance and start to confuse the public and in turn take it as an opportunity to mint extra coins.
Equally, the ministry of health or any tasked institution should design an easy-to-use public/employee communication toolkit with information that will help Employers and Employees alike to educate, inform, and raise awareness among their staff-population and general public about the Covid-19 vaccine.
It is good that President Samia Suluhu Hassan has led the way by example and assured the nationals and government workforce that the vaccine is safe, what remains now is the health personnel to constantly preach the message and remind the public that once one get vaccinated, one would be safe against the disease.
If we rush to start rollout without sending the right message to the targeted segments of the population that have higher risks of getting infected, definitely we shall be digging a hole, whose filling will cost us all.
It is now the turn of the government and stakeholders, whether from the private or Non-Governmental Organisations to keep on thoroughly educating the public to have trust in the vaccine.
