By Henry Uche
As the global coronavirus pandemic ravages the world with the attendant fear for vaccination by some persons, experts have reiterated that precautionary measures are far safer and cheaper than any other actions taken to curb the spread of the dreaded disease.
At a media training held in Lagos recently, a public health specialist from the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr. Chima E. Onuekwe, maintained that observing the COVID-19 protocols would save not only the observer but his/her neighbours. He noted that since people are afraid and unwilling to take the proposed COVID-19 vaccination, it’s expedient that everyone does the needful to safeguard everyone.
Howbeit, he posited that the need for vaccination should not be relegated; because vaccination has been an old culture to prevent one from infectious disease even from infant age. He stressed that lackadaisical attitude towards the obvious virus will not only be inimical to the society but cause apprehension in the environment since everyone is skeptical to one another.
“We must observe precautionary measures to avert the devastating effects of this deadly disease. It’s safer to do when compared vis-a-vis with any other actions; people should not be care -free or care- less following the protocol, and at the same time kick against vaccination. When we do the right thing at the right time and right place we get the right results.”
He added that Journalists must not derail from their responsibility of informing, educating, motivating and building confidence of the masses regarding COVID-19. “We should be mindful of how we share information, because every piece of information dished out there either triggers positive or negative reactions from the populace.”
He charged the federal and state governments to strive to disabuse and disenchant the minds of the people from the obvious erroneous belief they harbor in their minds regarding the whole matter of this threat to humanity. “People already have a strong disdain about the government, so it’s incumbent on this administration to strive and make Nigerians trust them for once by practically showing honesty, transparency and accountability.”
