Why education about jab must be stepped up

Covid vaccination

A woman receives the Covid-19 vaccine at Milimani Law Courts, Nairobi, in September. 

Photo credit: File / Nation Media Group

Since Covid-19 vaccines were introduced in Kenya in March this year, only five per cent of the around 50 million Kenyans are fully vaccinated.

Most of the people were unwilling to receive the jab, but circumstances such as requirements at the workplace forced them to be vaccinated. Vaccines like the one against polio were also similarly resisted but, with education, people will readily accept it.

First, there is a lot of misinformation, especially through the social media and opinion leaders of certain communities. For example in churches, the opinion leader is the pastor or priest. If he or she tells the congregation not to be vaccinated, then they are likely to obey.

Secondly, people who don’t know anything about the Covid-19 jab give out wrong information while pretending to know more than the doctors and other specialists. The main rumour spreading about the vaccine is that, after 10 years, it will have negative effects on those who take it. That instill fear in people.

The third problem is illiteracy. People who don’t have the gadgets through which information is communicated have limited knowledge on vaccination. Not everyone in Kenya has a radio, television, computer or smartphone. The irony is when information passed through the gadgets is intended to reach everyone.

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe should understand that forcing vaccination on everyone will not make more people get the jab. He should, instead, ensure clarity of the information going out, especially on social media, and try to answer some of the frequently asked questions. One of the most common queries is on the effectiveness of the vaccine after some years.

Another solution is to ensure information reaches the grassroots level, to people who cannot access gadgets or read newspapers. The government’s communication personnel can move around the villages educating people about vaccination. That will enable more people to understand the jab and turn up for vaccination.

Ms Oresha is a student at Maasai Mara University. [email protected].