Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has urged Federal Government to involve traditional and religious leaders in sensitising the public to accept the COVID-19 vaccine as the country awaits the arrival of the vaccines.
The NMA President, Prof. Innocent Ujah, who made the call at Abuja said this followed hints of rejection of the COVID-19 vaccine by some Nigerians.
He stressed the need to involve stakeholders such as traditional rulers, religious leaders, politicians, opinion leaders, and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to engage their audience on the imperative of taking the COVID-19 vaccine.
Ujah noted that there would always be controversies to newly introduced issues, hence the need for sensitisation at all levels to accept the vaccine.
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The president recalled that in early 2000, there were controversies surrounding the polio vaccine, which was done to curb polio disease.
He said “it took the then administrators of Primary Health Care Development Agency and other agencies to involve traditional and religious leaders before people started taking the vaccine.
“You know there are all sorts of interpretations regarding the polio vaccine in that case. It became a challenge, so, we need to use the traditional institution to pass the message.
“I think it is important we look at that before it snowballs into a serious crisis and the purpose of getting the vaccine becomes defeated.”
