COVID-19: Rejection of 2nd dose raises concern amidst card racket

Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (BSPHDA) has expressed concern over the rejection of the second dose COVID-19 vaccines by residents who received the first dose of the vaccine across the state, calling on people of the to come out and received their vaccines.

Ih has also uncovered a trend of wealthy residents bribing vaccinators to issue  COVID-19 Vaccination Card without taking the vaccines.

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Executive Chairman of  BSPHDA Dr Rilwamu Mohammed who disclosed this to participants at the Media Orientation Meeting on COVID-19 phase-2 Vaccination Exercise Wednesday in Bauchi, attributed the rejection to series of false, misleading and conspiracy theories, especially in the social media that the COVID-19 contain magnetic substances that killed people after two years of taken the vaccines.

Giving an update on the ongoing COVID-19 vaccinations across the state Mohammed explained that 2000 doses of the vaccines were sent to one of the local governments in the state but only 30 received the second dose of the vaccines and the majority of the people refused to avail themselves for the vaccination.

He explained the Taskforce Committee on COVID-19 and the agency had already launched an enlightenment campaign against the various misconception about the COVID-19 vaccine, adding that the agency has concluded plans to engaged Imams, pastors in the enlightenment campaign against the misconception about the COVID-19 vaccination.

Commenting on the buying of the COVID-19 vaccination card, Mohammed said, “One of the health workers administering the vaccines reported that some privileged individuals are inducing them with money just to fill the vaccination card without taking the jab, but she has refused to be tempted and reported to the agency.”

He further revealed,  “The most disturbing part of the trend is some dignitaries are sending messages from Abuja to get the vaccination cards to them without taking the vaccines. We have already taken measures to tackle the problem and we will not allow the ugly trend in the state and everybody must take the jab before getting the cards.”

Mohammed noted that the essence of the orientation meeting was to stimulate media to correct the misconception against the COVID-19 with a view to complement government efforts to sensitizes the public to the potency of vaccines.