FG, states and compulsory vaccination

RECENTLY, amid the generally negative reactions to the resolve by the governments of Edo and Ondo states to restrict access to public places for unvaccinated residents, the Federal Government gave an indication that it might soon begin to sanction eligible Nigerians who refuse COVID-19 vaccination. Speaking during a briefing at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Faisal Shuaib, said: “The Presidential Steering Committee and the Federal Ministry of Health are exploring ways of making vaccines available to all Nigerians, including federal civil servants and corporate entities. Once these vaccines are made equitably available to all Nigerians, we would need to have a frank discussion about justice, fairness and liberty that exist around vaccine hesitancy. If some individuals refuse to take the vaccine, hence endangering those who have or those who could not due to medical exemptions, then we have to apply the basic rule of law, which stipulates that your human right stops where mine begins. So, you have a right to refuse vaccines, but you do not have the right to endanger the health of others.”

Last month, worried by the apparently unenthusiastic response to his administration’s vaccination efforts, the Edo State governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, had mandated residents of the state to take the vaccine, warning that as from September 15, no unvaccinated resident of the state would be allowed into public places such as banks and worship centres. “From the second week of September, people may not be allowed to worship in churches and mosques without showing proof of their vaccination cards at the gates. Similarly, people will not be allowed into event centres, receptions or parties without showing proof of their vaccination cards,” the government had warned. Subsequently, civil servants in the Edo Ministry of Health were given a seven-day ultimatum to get vaccinated. The memo warned that any staff member who failed to get vaccinated within that period would not be allowed into office. However, following a motion filed by one Charles Osaretin in a suit marked FHC/PH/FHR/266/2021 challenging the declaration by the Edo State government, a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, granted an order restraining the governor and the state government from restricting unvaccinated persons from attending mass gatherings, as from this week.

Against the backdrop of the ravages of the Delta variant of COVID-19 and the general disruption of life and economic activities since the outbreak of the pandemic in the country, it is quite understandable that governments at national and sub-national levels are worried by vaccine hesitancy among the populace. However, at least in part, the hesitancy is a function of the typically strained relationship between the government and the people. Over the years, it has been difficult for the political class to effectively mobilise the populace precisely because a climate of trust has been all but fostered. In the absence of this mass mobilisation effort, election figures are cooked to give the impression that the people are participating effectively in democracy. But the scam soon explodes when politicians are confronted with the need to mobilise the populace for worthy causes, including taxation.

Besides, it is doubtful that any government can meaningfully enforce vaccine mandates in the face of inadequate vaccines. Till date, there are not enough vaccines to go round and even the Federal Government has acknowledged this fact time and again. Put simply: you can’t enforce it if you don’t have it. This has been the position of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), which declared that there would be no compulsory vaccination until there were enough vaccines in the country. It is a position with which even the World Health Organisation (WHO) is in agreement. Given the peculiarities of Nigeria as a country, the current practice of making vaccines available only at health centres cannot deliver the expected results. There should be vaccination points in markets, schools, mosques, and other public places. Again, while vaccination is necessary and desirable, the point has to be kept in mind that most of the available vaccines are at the experimental stage. In that regard, any assumed sure-footedness about the efficacy of vaccine mandates is bound to be met by qualms even from unexpected quarters.

In any case, it is not hard to guess that vaccine hesitancy is driven in part by poor handling of the vaccination message across board. In the past, vaccine advocacy benefited from creative and colourful methods, and vaccination messages were conveyed in the languages in which the people had the greatest facility. Governments at all levels therefore need to heighten awareness on the benefits of vaccination using the instrumentality of the languages of the environment, particularly mother tongues. They could also attach incentives to vaccination as a way of encouraging people to troop out in willing numbers and take the vaccines.

We urge the federal, state and local governments, where available, to invest heavily in enlightenment campaigns on vaccination and COVID-19 protocols. The country stands to benefit a lot from them.

YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

We Have Not Had Water Supply In Months ― Abeokuta Residents

In spite of the huge investment in the water sector by the government and international organisations, water scarcity has grown to become a perennial nightmare for residents of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. This report x-rays the lives and experiences of residents in getting clean, potable and affordable water amidst the surge of COVID-19 cases in the state…

Selfies, video calls and Chinese documentaries: The things you’ll meet onboard Lagos-Ibadan train

The Lagos-Ibadan railway was inaugurated recently for a full paid operation by the Nigerian Railway Corporation after about a year of free test-run. Our reporter joined the train to and fro Lagos from Ibadan and tells his experience in this report…