By Theresa Moses
With the recent Covid-19 B.1.1.529 Omicron variant which has been classified as a variant of concern (VOC) by the World Health Organisation, countries around the world are implementing tighter border control, testing and quarantine measures for all travelers.
Nigeria is no exception, but the rising numbers of fake Covid-19 cards are a major source of concern.
The proliferation of fake vaccine cards is a growing concern as countries needed proof of vaccination to be sure one is indeed, vaccinated, especially when coming from an African continent.
Few months ago, some Nigerian tourists with fake COVID-19 vaccination cards tested positive for the virus in the United Kingdom, when, they were actually not vaccinated in Nigeria but had vaccination cards.
This has led to compulsory quarantine in the UK if such passenger is coming from Nigeria as they now doubt the authenticity of the vaccine card one carries. People are not campaigning against fake COVID-19 vaccination cards or making it clear that forging them could land people in prison despite the federal government warning that anyone caught selling such “will be made to face the wrath of the law.” Nigerians have been advised to carry their vaccination card details or barcode on their electronic devices for easy access especially for those traveling outside the country but how does the fake vaccine cards get to pass through the international airport only to be exposed abroad?
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared vaccine hesitancy as one of the top ten global health threats in 2019, and vaccine hesitancy and acceptability mean the perceived social value of a vaccine is variable. Still the uptake of vaccines is often challenged by individuals and groups who refuse to be vaccinated on religious, philosophical, or socio-political grounds. As we talk about fake Covid-19 cards hampering uptake of vaccination in Nigeria, let’s estimate the value of Covid-19 vaccine and how we can incentivise vaccine uptake. The value of a vaccine to individuals and society is affected by individual perception on multiple levels such as the vaccine itself, the development process, regulatory agencies etc.
Vaccine uptake is to protect the wider community but some persons have argued that there would always be individuals that might be vaccine-hesitant. We are now left with the option of making vaccination compulsory especially with the recent statement by the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu that the presentation of the COVID vaccination card is now compulsory for attendees of social gatherings following update of the management of Coronavirus in the state.
According to Gov. Sanwo-Olu, as a measure of curbing the spread of the disease, every attendee of a social gathering MUST present their vaccination cards or digital bar code page showing at least first dose but preferably double dose full vaccination.
“All social events must be duly registered to obtain Event Safety Clearance from the Lagos State Safety Commission website:www.lasgsafetyreg.comprior to holding; and the guidelines set out below must be strictly adhered to,” he said.
All civil servants in the city are required to get vaccinated including health care workers which have raised concerns about the easy availability of fraudulent vaccine cards. Compulsory vaccination (and fines for those failing to comply) might be counterproductive and can feed further antagonism and resistance (let alone conspiracy theories of those arguing the government wants to use vaccination as a form of social control amongst others). Beyond the protective effects of Covid-19 vaccines for individuals, the value of vaccines far exceeds their costs, or even their private benefit.
What is vaccination you may ask? During a UNICEF Media Dialogue on Covid-19 vaccine campaign held in September, 2021, Enugu state, Dr. Nwachukwu Chinedu Ugwunna spoke extensively about Covid-19 vaccination as a lifesaver.
He said vaccination is “a simple, safe, and effective way of protecting you against harmful diseases, before you come into contact with them. It uses your body’s natural defenses to build resistance to specific infections and makes your immune system stronger. Vaccines train your immune system to create antibodies, just as it does when it’s exposed to a disease. However, because vaccines contain only killed or weakened forms of germs like viruses or bacteria, they do not cause the disease or put you at risk of its complications. Most vaccines are given by an injection, but some are given orally (by mouth) or sprayed into the nose”.
Speaking on how a vaccine works, Ugwunna states that “vaccines reduce risks of getting a disease by working with your body’s natural defenses to build protection. When you get a vaccine, your immune system responds. It recognizes the invading germ, such as the virus or bacteria, produces antibodies. Antibodies are proteins produced naturally by the immune system to fight disease. If you are then exposed to the germ in the future, your immune system can quickly destroy it before you become unwell. The vaccine is therefore a safe and clever way to produce an immune response in the body, without causing illness”.
Without Covid-19 vaccines we are at risk of contracting the virus. Two key reasons to get vaccinated are to protect ourselves and to protect those around us. Because not everyone can be vaccinated – including very young babies, those who are seriously ill or have certain allergies – they depend on others being vaccinated to ensure they are also safe from vaccine-preventable diseases. Due to some medical conditions like chronic illnesses or treatments (such as chemotherapy) that affect the immune system, severe and life-threatening allergies to vaccine ingredients, which are very rare; some people may not get vaccinated. According to reports, all the ingredients of a vaccine play an important role in ensuring a vaccine is safe and effective. Some of these include: The antigen. This is a killed or weakened form of a virus or bacteria, which trains our bodies to recognize and fight the disease if we encounter it in the future. Adjuvants which help boost our immune response and help vaccines to work better. Preservatives, which ensure a vaccine stays effective and stabilisers which protect the vaccine during storage and transportation.
Covid-19 vaccines have reached billions of people worldwide; the evidence is overwhelming that no matter which one you take, the vaccines offer life-saving protection against a disease that has killed millions. The pandemic is far from over, and vaccines are our best bet of staying safe. WHO is working tirelessly with partners to develop, manufacture and deploy safe and effective vaccines.
Being vaccinated does not mean that we can throw caution to the wind and put ourselves and others at risk, it’s now left for us to embrace the new normal by continuing wearing masks, cleaning our hands, ensuring good ventilation indoors, physically distancing and avoiding crowds when necessary.
Let’s remember that it’s not vaccines that will stop the pandemic, its vaccination. We must ensure fair and equitable access to vaccines, and ensure every person is vaccinated starting with the most vulnerable. The onus is on us to beat history, write a different story of saving lives as vaccines are the shot in the arm we all need – literally and figuratively.
The recent emergence of Omicron variants makes the rapid and equitable rollout of vaccines all the more important as trust in vaccination and in the ability of governments to communicate and successfully deliver a vaccination programme is critical. The government needs to instill and maintain public confidence in the effectiveness and safety of the vaccines, competence and reliability of the institutions that deliver them, principles and processes that guide government decisions and actions in vaccine procurement, distribution, prioritisation, and administration.
The capacity and effectiveness of regulatory agencies in handling issues and communicating consistently as events arise while retaining public confidence in their review processes; and the effectiveness of the public engagement and communications is also very paramount. Successful vaccination campaigns also require governments to partner and support community organisations to conduct extensive and well-managed community engagement. It is of importance to ensure that government actions are open to public scrutiny, and that public institutions engage with the population, by proactively releasing timely information on vaccination strategies, modalities and accomplishments in disaggregated, user-friendly and open source formats; enhancing transparent and coherent public communication to address misinformation and engaging the public when developing vaccination strategies, and in the form and content of key communications.
Again one of the main issues with vaccine uptake is proper knowledge of how vaccines benefit both individuals and society. Vulnerability to fake news and access to skeptical social media posts can lead people to overestimate rare side effects of the virus. Let’s change the narratives of vaccination so that individuals that refuse to be vaccinated understand that the default option is to get vaccinated can make a huge difference. The role of celebrities taking up vaccines and promoting them on their social media handles is also important. To this end, media organizations have a huge responsibility and power to portray a positive representation of the benefits of vaccinations and the negligible risks of not being vaccinated. Involve relevant stakeholders such as community and local leaders or trade unions, who can support public health authorities and the medical profession to play down and not amplify the risks associated with vaccination.
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