The role of health sectors in the fighting misconception of COVID-19 vaccine

In the long run people around the globe particularly those who live in underdeveloped Countries in Africa, especially in Ethiopia a large number of communities has a misconception that disease may be transmitted by utilizing health service due to a lack of trust in health service delivery system, most of the population strongly related with religion, they claimed that it is sin or God or Allah driven. According to a health behavior model, knowledge and practice are contributing factors for increasing healthcare seeking among patients with low levels of trust [1,2]. The Ethiopian government has done many activities in disseminating health messages on mainstream media as well as social media, at the national and regional levels and there are strong initiatives and recognition of the public health importance of COVID-19. However, there is a need to increase community awareness and practices to slow the spread of the virus [3]. Effective mitigation and reduction of death and illness due to COVID-19 require behavioral change, which is influenced by people’s knowledge and perceptions [4]. Recently developing a vaccine against COVID-19 is considered a key strategy to end the pandemic. However, public acceptance is reliant on beliefs and perceptions toward the vaccine [5]. The health system is a large sector highly responsible to make it a useful conduit into the community, especially through health education and the provision of health care. Vaccines are currently an effective means of improving global health, in many parts of the world there are still quite a few people who question the necessity of vaccination, postpone vaccination, or even refuse vaccination at all; this is especially true when vaccines first came to market and were met with considerable hesitation and even outright opposition. Hence the control of vaccine hesitancy, barriers, misperception, misconception and the promotion of vaccination are key protective measures against COVID-19 [6]. More vastly than this, health sectors are the primary sector of government with institutionally as well as professionally responsible and relationship through parenthood with a significant proportion of the clients in the population. Health sector provide a substantial institutional base from which Health Information Dissemination (HID) and knowledge can be transferred to society about the risk-benefit of the vaccine to individuals and the community at large [7]. Lack of information and advice from the government especially from health professionals can expose communities to panic and doughty about the effectiveness of the vaccine [8]. Currently, the space opens up for ‘infodemics’ – ‘the rapid spread of information of all kinds, including rumors, gossip, and unreliable information about the vaccine [9]. Available communication channels and media need to be used to advice and counsel people to respond, protect themselves and reduce the spread of the disease through the available vaccine. This ‘communication is critical to minimize the social, political and subsequently economic impact of an epidemic’ [9]. According to the Key outbreak response framework elements of WHO a role for health sectors is communicating risk that is relaying or true information, listening to and engaging communities, and managing rumors and misinformation, misconception or myths or perceptions. We recommend the health sectors to focus on providing awareness and health education for the community regarding the implementation of COVID-19 vaccination.

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