Vaccine non-transparency could hamper effective rollout

CAPE TOWN, March 21 (ANA) – As African nations continue to roll out their allotment of vaccines to combat the coronavirus, the mammoth task will require all hands on deck.

Now more than ever, vaccine transparency remains a key component to beating the pandemic.

If the year-long Covid-19 crisis has taught us anything, it’s that statistics, trends and facts are key to combating the coronavirus.

From daily case numbers to updates on recoveries and deaths, a clear flow of information from health authorities is crucial if countries look to get ahead of the deadly virus.

As we’ve seen in certain African countries where coronavirus denialism is alive and well, when there is a disparity in figures or a lack of transparency, it is easy for the country to slip further into denialism.

Such countries run the risk of vaccine apathy once citizens believe there is no urgency to get vaccinated.

Furthermore, the long waiting period for vaccines to arrive in Africa can lead to most of the population feeling left behind.

It is important for African leaders to reassure citizens that vaccines have been secured and on their way at specified dates and to inform the population of possible delays.

With the recent concern about the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine, it is important for health authorities to debunk misinformation and to allay the fears of those who are in two minds about taking the jab.

If there are facts that confirm the danger of a particular vaccine, this needs to be communicated to the public.

Recently, South African non-profit advocacy organisation Right2Know picketed outside the Department of Health in Johannesburg, calling on the government to be more transparent about the acquisition and roll-out of vaccines in South Africa, according to Groundup.org.

The organisation said a lack of transparency was enabling the spread of misinformation about the vaccines.

With the continent on the back foot with a mere six million vaccines administered, corruption poses serious risks to equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines and treatments, said Transparency International.

The organisation said a lack of transparency over the development, procurement, allocation and distribution of Covid-19 vaccines threatened the global Covid-19 recovery.

Transparency International added that robust distribution plans were needed to ensure vaccines were not stolen or diverted and to protect against fake or faulty vaccines from entering the market, including from sources such as criminal organisations.

A recent report by Transparency International revealed that a lack of transparency during the research and development process could lead to citizens losing trust in vaccines, hampering the distribution process while making it easier for misinformation that disregarded science and data to sow public distrust.

People have the right to obtain information about the vaccines they receive. Access to information is a human right, particularly when it concerns our health.

According to a 2019 report by the Africa Health Research Institute, a new global survey on public attitudes to health and science revealed that people in Africa have greater trust in vaccines and take-up of vaccines than any other continent.

Several African countries have among the highest confidence in vaccines worldwide.

Fast-forward to 2021, in January, late Tanzanian president John Magufuli dismissed Covid vaccinations as “dangerous for our health”.

Reasons for vaccine refusal include a belief that Covid-19 does not exist, or its threat is exaggerated, writes the Lancet.

Africa News writes that scandals such as the death of 11 Nigerian children in 1996 after they were administered an experimental meningitis vaccine by Pfizer have not been forgotten.

A survey conducted by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in December, in partnership with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine has shown that a predominant majority (79% average) of respondents in Africa would take a Covid-19 vaccine if it were deemed safe and effective.

– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Yaron Blecher