As the world continue to put measures to confront and overcome the Corona Virus that has adversely affected humanity, economic activities and others, an Implementing Partner of the Centre for Information Technology And Development (CITAD)/MacArthur Foundation, Friday Bako on Wednesday 10th August, 2022 took the COVID-19 Vaccine Awareness Campaign to Southern Part of Plateau State.

In his remarks at the Town Hall Meeting which held at Shendam the Headquarters of Plateau South, the Implementing Partner urged the public to ignore the fake news and conspiracy theories making the rounds about the COVID-19 Vaccines and take them as they have been certified by the World Health Organization (WHO) to be safe and effective.
He hinted that the objectives of Town Hall Meeting was to create awareness on the COVID-19 Vaccine and dispel fake news about the vaccines by ensuring that people have more information about the safety and effectiveness of the Vaccines which will translate to increased uptake.
He charged government, the media, religious leaders, traditional rulers, Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs) Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and other critical stakeholders to intensify efforts in sensitizing the public on the need to take the drugs. He said CITAD/MacArthur Foundation being the sponsors of the project have demonstrated they are concerned about achieving a more healthier society which in turn will translate to productivity and prosperity.

In his presentation, Dr. Mbwas Mashor a Public Health Policy Manager and Consultant Pathologist with Bingham University Hospital Jos took time to enlighten the participants who were drawn from Shendam, Langtang North, Qua’an-Pan, Wase, Langtang South and Mikang Local Government Areas on how vaccines are produced and the stages they undergo before they are allowed to be administered to human beings.
According to him, all the COVID-19 Vaccines in use have been approved by the World Health Organization, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and others to be safe and efficacious for human use.
He admonished the people to change their perception against the vaccines, embrace same and make sure they are vaccinated.
He said achieving herd immunity is possible if majority of the people are vaccinated against the virus.

“We need a majority of the population to take the vaccines in order to attain herd immunity and make it effective, in so doing the virus will be wiped out completed” he posited.
He said all misinformation and conspiracy theories about the virus are baseless, fallacious and not scientifically proven hence the need to ignore them.

Alex Yibeikas, Monitoring Assistant of the Project disclosed that there is the need for continuous sensitization of the general public on the virus and vaccines approved for use to curtail the virus.
He said misinformation has brought about wrong perception about the vaccines which have adversely affected vaccine uptake.

The participants lauded the efforts put in place by CITAD/MacArthur Foundation as well as the implementing partner in ensuring that they get the right information about the virus and vaccines. They acknowledged that the engagement has further enlightened them and provided answers to some grey areas about the vaccines which will make them go for the vaccines.
They said they will step down what they learnt and enlighten other people too to take the vaccines.

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CITAD/MacArthur Foundation Implementing Partner, Friday Bako Storms Plateau Southern Zone for COVID-19 Vaccine Awareness Campaign