…blame social media influence
By Adeyinka Adeniran
Medical experts have expressed concern at the rate at which parents and guardians prevent the children from taking vaccines, calling for a change of attitude in the interest of the future.
Warning that the attitude, if not check poses potential dangers of health challenges that vaccines are meant to prevent, the medical doctors identified the influence of social media which they described as tool to aid the widespread of misinformation.
They spoke during the 2024 scientific conference of the Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Oyo State branch which held at the NMA House, Agodi, Ibadan, themed, “Vaccines: The facts and the Myths”.
Lamenting that the effect of misinformation and disinformation on vaccines are alarming and disturbing, the doctors said the myths that vaccines have adverse effects is fallacious, stressing that vaccines are effective, preventive, useful and beneficial.
Speaking on the theme of the conference “Vaccination: facts and myth”, a Clinical Virologist, Department of Microbiology, University of Ibadan, Dr. Adeola Fowotade harps on the effectiveness of vaccines in preventing diseases.
She said: ‘’Nigeria is a country that is plagued with infectious diseases. Good enough, some of these diseases are preventable by vaccination and the vaccines that are available are not for children alone, but also for adults. We have observed that people are showing apathy to the vaccines.
“Even adults do not want their children to get vaccinated and for adult vaccines, there is a low turnout of those taking the vaccines. The reason that is driving vaccines off-take is that there are a lot of myths associated with the vaccines. Those myths are true according to studies conducted by various organizations, including the World Health Organisation {WHO} and others’’.
In his lecture, the Dean Elect, Faculty of Public Heath, University of Ibadan, Prof. Magbagbeola Dairo who spoke on the subtheme: ‘’Combating Vaccine Hesitancy in Clinical and Public Health Settings’’ warned that refusal to present children for vaccination attracted fines and imprisonment according to the Child Right Law in Oyo State and Child Right Act in Nigeria.
He said: ‘’Vaccines are effective and useful. They should take advantage of vaccines available in our facilities and that are being brought to schools. It is free and beneficial.
‘’The Child Right Law in Oyo State and Child Right Act in Nigeria have already stipulated that parents, guardians and those who have custody of children under two years have the responsibility to ensure full vaccination. Those who fail to do so are liable to imprisonment or fine.
“So, we should not run afoul of the law. It is mandatory for us to vaccinate our children. For those who are older, I am advocating that there should be a vaccination policy for access to government-provided benefits such as the national immunization, driver’s licence and entrance into higher institutions. Vaccination cards should be provided.
‘’It is to help the physician to know the strategies to be adopted in convincing the people to take advantage of vaccination. To show the advantages of vaccination. We must educate the healthcare providers’’
The Chairman of the occasion, a Professor of Clinical Microbiology, Prof. Rasheed Bakare, urged the general public to embrace being vaccinated describing it as the most effective and best way to prevent diseases.
Earlier in his welcome remarks, the Oyo NMA Acting Chairman, Dr. Happy Adedapo, warned against picking half-information on social media to cast aspersion on the use of the vaccines.
He said: ‘’The number of health practitioners going against the use of vaccines. We are aware of the good thing vaccines have done. How vaccines have saved lives. Before vaccines, the number of deaths that was being recorded and the extent of child mortality as at that time.
“With the advent of vaccines, some of these deadly diseases were put to the background. What is happening now is alarming. With the advent of social media, a lot of people who do not have medical knowledge who pick half-information on social media are now coming to the forefront to cast aspersions on the use of the vaccines.
‘’It is getting disturbing because even health workers are joining in the bandwagon. This is what informed the choice of our theme today, because we know to re-educate our people. Vaccines are safe. The fear people are expressing is misplaced. We want people to embrace vaccination. Vaccines are good for health’’.
In their goodwill messages, President, Ibadan College of Medicine Worldwide, Prof. Emmanuel Otolorin, Prof Wuraola Shokunbi and a former Commissioner for Health in the state, Dr Taiwo Ladipo all enjoined citizens of the state to support government efforts at improving the health of her citizens through vaccination.
