BY S KWAGALA: Vaccination has long been hailed as the cornerstone of public health worldwide, with scientists emphasising its unparalleled role in preventing diseases and safeguarding communities.
In Uganda, the success of vaccination programs, particularly among children, has been noteworthy. However, recent trends show that adults are now also being targeted through mass vaccination campaigns, spurred by the rise of pandemics and endemic diseases.
Dr. Henry Kyobe , the health ministry incident commander for COVID-19 while addressing the media under the umbrella of Health Journalist Network Uganda this week on Thursday stated, “Vaccination has been the best protector of public health globally. It is crucial to guard against vaccine hesitancy to maintain and enhance our public health achievements.”
Vaccine hesitancy, the reluctance or refusal to vaccinate despite the availability of vaccines, has emerged as a significant challenge. Causes of vaccine hesitancy in Uganda as highlighted during the engagement include misinformation, cultural beliefs, and fear of side effects.
Following the outbreak of Covid-19, the anti-vaccination movement made the list of the World Health Organisation’s top threats to global health. Since then the fight goes on.In Uganda for instance , following the most recent Yellow Fever Mass vaccination campaign, individuals like Joseph Kabuleta, former presidential candidate took to X cautioning people against the vaccine.
Social media platforms according to the experts, especially WhatsApp have taken a centre stage in amplifying misinformation, leading to widespread skepticism about vaccine safety and efficacy.
Professor Pontiano Kaleebu, a clinical immunologist and HIV/AIDS researcher, pointed out that to dispel fears of unsafe vaccines, scientists ought to be committed to research and guarding the safety of vaccines as much as possible.”When such issues come, safety is very very important.” He relayed issues from the history of vaccines where safety always had to be addressed dating back to 1970s with vaccines like polio.
To combat vaccine hesitancy, scientists and public health officials in Uganda are already implementing several strategies:
Some of these pointed out by Dr. Kyobe include ; the need for public health practitioners to understand the demographics of people to be vaccinated, effects of vaccine hesitancy ,context of the hesitancy, timing of administration of a vaccine and what the particular vaccine is among others.
In addition Professor Kaleebu noted that in addition to guarding safety of vaccines, there is need for people to be provided with the right information by the right people.
“Vaccines are good, vaccines have made a difference and we shall fight to see that they are guarded.”
Uganda’s high success rate in vaccinating children serves as a model for expanding efforts to adults, particularly in the face of emerging health threats. As mass vaccination campaigns for adults become more common, the vigilance against vaccine hesitancy must remain strong to protect public health and prevent outbreaks.
By March this year in a study by the School of Public Health Makerere ,Records from the Ministry of Health showed that more than 10.2 million people representing 48 percent of the targeted 22 million people were fully vaccinated as of April 2022, but of these, only 59,542 have received booster doses that are supposed to increase the efficacy of the vaccines, which is believed to wane with time. This meant over 10.1 million Ugandans who are fully vaccinated have ignored the booster doses.
In conclusion, the battle against vaccine hesitancy is as crucial as the vaccines themselves. By employing comprehensive strategies and fostering community trust, Uganda aims to continue its legacy of successful vaccination programs and safeguard the health of its population.