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Covid-19 vaccine: The science is clear, our communication is not

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Now that we have a workable Covid-19 vaccine on the way, the right message needs to be communicated to the general public so as to facilitate the vaccination process.

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Free Malaysia Today

The Covid-19 vaccine is one of the exit strategies to mitigate the calamitous impact of the pandemic that is raging over our lives and livelihoods. Evidence of the vaccine’s safety and efficacy has been made abundantly clear in scientific journals.

Many nations have begun vaccinating their frontliners and citizens, albeit with varying challenges and opportunities for improvement. It is now our responsibility to communicate with transparency and clarity to get the right messages across to the community before it’s too late.

We are not seeing much emphasis on communication regarding the vaccine and the vaccination process. With all due respect to our health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah who has tirelessly and consistently delivered updates on the clusters and figures, there is a need for a clear communication pathway and framework so as to move forward with the vaccination.

During the health ministry’s briefing on Monday, Noor Hisham said: “We still need to look into the efficacy of the vaccine. Time will tell. It will probably be another four to six months, and a better decision can be made by then.”

However, in the same press conference he said: “We expect the vaccine to be approved probably by the end of February, and we can start vaccinating in March or so.”

This is somewhat contradictory, or at least ambiguous and may be seen as confusing. As misinformation and disinformation are spreading faster than the pandemic itself, we cannot afford any distraction.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yasin, a cancer survivor, offered to become the first Malaysian to get vaccinated. This was followed by several press briefings on the subject matter by Science, Technology, and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin and Health Minister Dr Adham Baba. Now, the whole government machinery should fall in line and get ready for the vaccination agenda. It is imperative that we work with the same rhythm and speak the same tone.

The vaccination process is going to be a monumental task. It is financially costly and will consume significant human resources, not to mention the involvement of extensive logistics. As we face endless political turmoil, economic uncertainties and man-made natural disasters, the least we should do is plan and execute a concise and purposeful message to ensure trust and confidence in the vaccine and its process.

Vaccine hesitancy is topping the list of the top ten global health challenges as declared by the World Health Organization. Vaccine hesitancy is at an all-time high even in a developed nation such as France, and even in lower income countries like Ukraine.

There is no reasonable doubt about the science, it is communication that remains the bottleneck.

There are many steps from getting a vaccine out of the factory until it reaches our targeted population. Evidently, there will be hiccups along the way as we learn from several countries ahead of us.

We have to collaborate and work on a consistent communication theme that vaccines are effective and safe within the context of this pandemic. We have to inform the public of the process in place to ensure continuous and rigorous monitoring of any adverse events.

The issues surrounding procurement and non-disclosure agreement need to be dealt with accountability and a big heart. It is the worst imaginable nightmare to have stockpiles of vaccines at our disposal but no arms to accept them, in the background of a soaring pandemic that costs both our lives and livelihoods.

 

Dr Mokhtar Jo is a family physician.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.

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