More men are taking the COVID-19 vaccine than women at Mohammed Abdullahi Wase Teaching Hospital, Nasarawa, Kano State, the COVID-19 Vaccination Ward Focal Person, Mr Shehu Abdul has said.
Abdul stated this when journalists visited the facility in Kano on Friday.
He explained that the facility began COVID-19 vaccination on Aug. 20, adding that so far, only a few females have taken the vaccine compared to the men.
He attributed the development to a lack of sufficient awareness and misinformation about vaccines.
He urged media organisations to intensify awareness campaigns on the benefits of the vaccine against the deadly virus, with a focus on women.
On the uptake of the vaccine, Abdul said that more people were responding, adding that the demand has been on the increase with an average of 50 people daily between Aug. 20 and Sept. 9 at the facility.
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“For example, when we began the vaccination exercise in August, only 15 people showed up: 12 male and three female.
“The number increased to 25 by Aug. 29; five female and 20 male and further increased significantly to 84 by Aug. 30; 18 female, 66 male.
“However, the number has been declining with 82 recorded on Aug. 31: 16 female, 66 male; 67 on Sept.1: 15 female, 52 male, and 30 on Sept. 9: 12 female and 18 male,” he said.
A female resident, Ms Afiniki Tabat, said she would not take the vaccine because she did not trust it, adding that her African blood will protect her from COVID-19.
Tabat said that even if she contracted the virus, she would be healed without taking any medication because the disease does not affect African people compared to white men.
“We are African, the vaccine is in our blood already,” she said.
Mr Safuwa Abdullahi, another resident who took the first dose of the vaccine at the facility, said he took it in compliance with government guidelines.
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Abdullahi, who appealed to other people to do the same, acknowledged that COVID-19 was real, and people were dying from it.
“The government is providing the vaccines free and directed that we all take it to protect ourselves and our loved ones.
“Although a lot of people have been sceptical about taking the vaccines due to misinformation. I still think the right thing to do is to take the vaccine.
“We can support the government to win the fight against the virus by taking the vaccine and encourage others to do the same,” he said.
The Chief Immunisation Officer, Nasarawa Local Government Council, Mr Sani Managge, told journalists that no fewer than 3,848 people have been vaccinated in the last 13 days across the LGA.
