Vaccine Fatigue in Zimbabwe has been attributed to the myths and misconceptions peddled in communities which has resulted in many fearing the vaccine more than the COVID-19 disease.
While Zimbabwe is still witnessing some COVID-19 infections, the uptake for vaccines has been less than desirable.
Speaking to Journalsts during Science Café organized by the Health Communicators Forum in imbabwe (HCF), Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) executive chairperson, Ms Maria Chiwera told journalists that lack of information on the disease coupled vaccine hesitancy had slowed down uptake of vaccines.
Why are we getting fatigued? It is mainly the communities we work with are aware there is a vaccine that is supposed to be taken. They are also vaguely aware of the covid-19 disease. But it was not fully explained. They did not understand the drive for vaccines just came from nowhere.
“Because from communities it was from nowhere. People thought it was just a plain cough. They did not understand that it was deadly. So I think, the low vaccine uptake in the communities was because of misinformation, beliefs in the church because we have churches that do not go for scientific treatments that do not also vaccinate their children,” she said.
She also said some thought vaccinations were meant for infants and pregnant women.
“We also have this prior knowledge that only under-fives and pregnant women get vaccinated. So why suddenly everybody and even the elderly? You know that the elderly do get a vaccine here and there against the flue. But that is known in the elite communities. If we go down to our communities where we were born, or grew up, not many get the flu vaccines at the time we are supposed to get it between March and May.”
Ms Chiwera noted that there are people who are generally scared of injections who chose not to be vaccinated. Also peddled my social media miscreants was the issue of vaccine induced sterility.
“Others noted people falling sick after getting vaccinated. There were also fears of sterility,” she said. “People are actually afraid of the vaccine more than COVID-19.”
She also said there was the issue of late arrival of vaccines which made people reluctant to
A Chitungwiza based community health worker Ms Nyadzisai Kakodzi said there are some who are yet to receive second doses of the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine.
She also said some white garment churches as well as some pentecostal churches’ congregants have not been vaccinated citing they had the protection ‘Holy Spirit’
As of March 30, 2023, about 13.8 million jabs have been administered as first, second and third doses in Zimbabwe.
In other news – Drug syndicate cops to spend more time in prison
Two Chiweshe-based cops who connived with a drug dealer in destroying evidence of cannabis sold to a schoolboy were convicted yesterday by Concession magistrate Joshua Nembaware.
The trio Robert Magunhu, David Tawanda Hama from Chombira police station and drug dealer Loveness Tsoora were remanded in custody to April 26 for sentencing.Learn More
