Health Ministry in Covid-19 vaccine drive

As confusion continues to reign regarding the Covid-19 vaccine and the choice of vaccine by the government, the Ministry of Health and Wellness has launched a campaign to persuade people to take the vaccine.

Last week Botswana received 30, 000 doses of Covishield, the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine which was a donation from India.

However, vaccination is yet to start with concerns having already been raised about this form of the vaccine.

Several other countries have already halted its use as reports of blood clotting in recipients emerge.

Despite these concerns, the government has indicated its intention to go ahead with the vaccine and has gone an extra mile by launching a campaign dubbed, ‘Armready for Lemao’, which can be interpreted as ‘I am ready for injection’.

Director of Health Services, Dr. Malebogo Kebabonye this week said the objective of the campaign is to build momentum for people to get ready for the vaccine.

She said the objective is to trigger the appropriate response from the community through the provision of factual information.

“It is through this campaign that the ministry, together with its partners, will provide factual information to the community,” said Dr. Kebabonye.

Also, she said the ministry intends to build confidence in the public and dispel misinformation regarding the vaccine.

The ministry has also launched an online registration platform where those interested in taking the vaccine can key in their details.

Recently, before the arrival of the vaccine, Dr. Kebabonye said the Risk Perception Survey taken by the Ministry discovered that over 73 percent of people are ready for the vaccine.

This is from a little over 5, 000 people who took part in the survey countrywide.

Adding on to what the Health Director said, Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. Edwin Dikoloti said the government is cognizant of the fact that failure to communicate effectively has the potential of widening the health gaps.

“The overall goal of the vaccine communication strategy is to promote acceptance and uptake of the vaccine by the public through timely dissemination of accurate and transparent information,” said the Minister.