Group claims state govts discouraging covid-19 vaccination, cites Kogi as example

A group, the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has alleged that vaccine administrators in Kogi State are demanding money from people who want to be vaccinated, thereby reducing uptake of the vaccine.

CITAD therefore appealed to the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello to as a matter of urgency, direct the immediate stoppage to what it described as “pay to get vaccinated” by providing data and other form of supports to vaccine administrators in the state.

The allegation and appeal was made by the Coordinator of the Public Education on COVID-19 Vaccine Project of CITAD, Hamza Ibrahim while briefing Journalists on Thursday on key hindrances to COVID-19 vaccination exercise identified in six states.

Ibrahim said, “While we noticed that misinformation about COVID-19 vaccine is still prevalent, we also regret to note here that state governments are in some way aiding non acceptance of the vaccine by not fully supporting the vaccination exercise where people who want to be vaccinated are required by the vaccination officials to make payments to be vaccinated”.

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He stressed that, “this will not only hamper the vaccination exercise but make people to stay away from taking the vaccine, and this potentially renders more people insecure. This, we particularly found happening in Kogi State”.

He added that, “Our observation also discovered a serious lack of coordination in the vaccine distribution by agencies responsible within the healthcare chain. While in Borno state people going for second doses for Astrazeneca and Moderna were told the vaccines are not available, in Plateau state 45,288 doses of Pfizer had to be recalled after distribution to local communities for nearing expiration”.

“Again visits to some vaccination spots in Plateau indicated that unavailability of the vaccines, and the lack of proper coordination is causing delay in accessing the vaccine by the vaccination spots. For example in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, State Primary Healthcare Development Agency supplies the vaccination centres with the vaccines without the involvement of the local government concerned, on exhaustion of the vaccines the centres usually are forced into confusion as local government usually makes a case that they are supplied the vaccines by the SPHCDA therefore they should not request from it. This effect of improper coordination put people on hold unnecessarily”, he lamented.

Hamza Ibrahim said that, “The problems we have identified are no doubt hindrances to the COVID-19 vaccine uptake. The identified challenges if not addressed quickly will reinforce the misconception and fake news in circulation about the vaccine, and that will sabotage the efforts geared towards containing the virus and addressing the pandemic in general”.

Other hindrances according to CITAD included, Lack of will from top government officials-that further reinforces impression people have on the vaccine; Lack of proper coordination in vaccine administration and distribution; Absence of vaccination spots at gathering places such as Mosques, churches, banks and Vaccination spots mounted at distant locations.

Also, Lack of support of opinion leaders; Fear of expired vaccines in use; Inaccessibility of the vaccines in rural communities; Nonpayment of vaccine administrators’ allowances; Closure of some vaccination spots due to nonpayment of vaccine administrators and Lack cold storage facilities in remote communities as well as Lack of political will; Unavailability of vaccines at some vaccination spots and Circulation false narratives around the vaccine.

CITAD as part of its recommendations Called on the state Governors concerned to as a matter of urgency work to address the problems that have been identified and should as well examine the vaccination channel in their separate states to have a broader view of the identified problems and other and deploy the needed mechanisms.

“We urge the public to disregard misconceptions and false narratives around COVID-19 and to get vaccinated and appeal to State Primary Healthcare Development Agencies in the six states to review their operation manual to ensure proper coordination for effective vaccination exercise”, it concluded.

By Yemi Kanji

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