Vaccines: Protecting the present and securing the future

Vaccines are one of the most significant medical solutions for decades. They have helped in saving lives and eradicating deadly diseases. Vaccines are prepared in a way that they provide immunity against certain diseases. With the help of vaccines, vaccinated individuals can stay immunized against diseases such as measles, smallpox, chicken pox, and even the deadly COVID-19. Vaccines help in reducing disease spread, which in turn helps those who can't be vaccinated, such as infants. There have been several researches over the years on vaccines, and some of these vaccines are believed not to have worked effectively as expected. This means they are not an absolute cure or prevention of certain diseases or infections.

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During my childhood, I was told I was vaccinated against measles, polio, and the like, but since I became an adult, I haven't taken any vaccines, not even when there was COVID-19. But over the years, there have been countless misconceptions about vaccines most especially COVID-19 vaccines. It faced misinformation and hesitancy, many people don't want to take the vaccine because of the kind of testimony they've heard from others. People dwell more on the side effects like sore arms, fever, and fatigue. Misinformation was widely spread through social media, this undermined public trust and led to low vaccination rates in some regions, prolonging the pandemic and leading to higher death rates.

I have heard quite a lot of superstitious stories about vaccines and this is often rooted in fear, misunderstandings, or sometimes cultural beliefs. These superstitions can lead to refusal from the masses, which poses risks to public health. Some of those superstitions I've heard from patients as a health worker are numerous, but I'll mention a few.

• Vaccines cause infertility: some people believe that vaccines cause infertility, especially women. It is widely accepted in this part of the world that children are the symbol of marriage, which means couples must be able to provide offspring. For this reason, many people decided not to take vaccines to protect their future so to speak. Just so they know scientifically, there is no proof of this, vaccines do not affect reproductive organs or fertility in both males and females.

• Vaccines are political tools to decrease the population: some believe that vaccines are brought in from Western countries by politicians to decrease the number of citizens for their selfish political reasons and also to control people into following them. I've heard senior citizens saying they've warned their children not to take the COVID-19 vaccine as it is a way for the politicians to make them their slaves, but these are all superstitions. Vaccines are developed by scientists worldwide and they are to prevent diseases and not control people.

• Vaccines contain microchips used to monitor people's activities: covid-19 vaccine was not widely accepted for this reason. It was widely spread then that the vaccines contained microchips which the government wanted to use to monitor the people's activities to see those speaking ill of the government so that they could be dealt with. No vaccine contains microchips for monitoring, and the ingredients for preparing any vaccine are widely published for people to see.

• Natural immunity is better: this is very common among the masses, especially senior citizens. They do believe that the herbs they've taken while growing up are better than vaccines. They do say "they are well cooked and cannot fall sick". They believe it's best to fall sick so that their body can build natural immunity, but what of the risks after the illness? Some don't recover well, and that poses a higher risk than vaccination.

My take on COVID-19 vaccines is a bit simple; it is a remarkable achievement, pending the limited time available to get it done due to the widespread pandemic. It shows what global cooperation and rapid innovation can achieve. In my opinion, I think clear information, communication, transparency about the risks and benefits, and addressing public concerns respectfully are keys to public acceptance. Vaccines should not be forced but encouraged through education and evidence.

Thanks for your time and your comments will be appreciated.

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