Stakeholders at the Center for Information Technology and Development, (CITAD), roundtable have commended journalists for their sustainable efforts towards the intake of covid-19 vaccines in Kogi State.
Speaking through the Kogi State Project Coordinator of CITAD Yemi Balogun, she commended the media for working in sensitizing citizens on the need to take the COVID-19 vaccine.
The Coordinator and other stakeholders on Thursday at an impact sharing of the equitable recovery project on covid-19 vaccine held in Lokoja, said the need for sustained sensitization and observing all the COVID-19 protocols still remain importance.
Balogun while noted that, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed peoples lives in an unprecedented ways, stressed that, experts have maintained that vaccination is the most effective strategy to combat thedeadly virus.
“To this end, we have organized this roundtable for vaccine champions which comprises the vaccine Field Mobilisers, Social Media Influence, Media in Kogi on the COVID-19 vaccine uptake.
“This roundtable is expected to serve as a platform to discuss measures taken by different stakeholders in response to the pandemic. Additionally, we aim to evaluate progress, challenges, and opportunities regarding vaccine acceptance in Kogi State.
“The Covid 19 vaccine project has been a challenging and complex task, but it has required collaboration from various stakeholders, As a project manager, I have been at the forefront of coordinating activities towards the successful distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. One significant aspect of my role has been organizing stakeholders meetings where we Strategize on ways to get more people vaccinated.
“Through these meetings, we have identified and mobilized key volunteers who have played instrumental roles in raising awareness and encouraging people to take the vaccine. We articulated the need for People to get vaccinated and emphasized the importance of following the guidelines provided by health experts.
While explaining the approaches put in place by the organization in the acceptability of covid-19 vaccine across Kogi State, Balogun stressed that the organization also leverage on social media influencers network to increase visibility and reach more people with their message.
“Another critical component of our vaccine rollout strategy was to work closely with healthcare providers to ensure that the Vaccines are administered safely and effectively.
“Others are development of educational materials which we circulated across Social media platforms to counter the myths and misconceptions around the vaccine. We were also able to map out Vaccine centers across the 21 Local Government Areas which was posted across Social media platforms to help people identify and locate the closest vaccine Centers to them. We physically mobilized people to vaccine centers as well as established a hotline for people to Call and receive up-to-date information and advice” She added.
Despite numerous challenges, in the campaign towards covid-19 intake, Balogun maintained that the struggle has resulted in more people getting vaccinated, hence, increasing the statistics of those fully vaccinated and reducting infections and mortality rates.
She, however, thanked CITAD and Mc Arthur foundation for their support in sustaining the fight against covid-19 across the globe.
Participants at the event all shared their experiences towards ensuring that covid-19 vaccines intake gets positive results across the 21 Local Government of Kogi State.