Oyo State Government, in collaboration with the Inited Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) on Thursday, September 16, 2021, recommended increased awareness on COVID-19 vaccine (COVAX) among residents in the state.
According to the Permanent Secretary,
Oyo State Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr. ‘Bunmi Babalola, the advice came during an advocacy meeting organized by the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, in collaboration with UNICEF for local government information officers and media practitioners on improving COVAX confidence and uptake at grassroots in the state, which held in Oyo town.
Speaking at the event, the UNICEF C4D Specialists, Akure Office, Mrs. Aderonke Akinola- Akinwole opined that there was need to educate and clear all doubts about the efficacy and safety of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine by the people of the state, especially those living at the grassroots.
According to her, media practitioners had a huge role to play in demystifying misconception and rumours about COVAX in the grassroots.
She dismissed rumours that the vaccine causes early death, sterility or is a scam, adding that residents should shun all unfounded assumptions about the vaccine.
The UNICEF representative described the vaccine as safe, effective and free of charge, as it would also help in reducing the effects of COVID-19 if contracted at all after the complete vaccination.
Earlier, the Director of UNICEF Programmes in the ministry, Mr. Rotimi Babalola, in his welcome address, stated that the meeting with media practitioners and information officers from all the 33 LGAs was important at the current period, due to the outbreak of the Delta variant of COVID-19.
He noted the Delta variant of the pandemic as deadlier than the previous one, hence the need to raise awareness among citizens who might have let down their guards concerning the COVID-19 protocols.
Mr. Babalola stressed that the vaccine would be available at primary health care centres in the state at no cost, to prevent the spread of the virus especially at a time that school’s resumption was in the offing.
