Though the government is set to launch the mass vaccination programme across the country on February 7, public apathy to get registered for it looks to be a major challenge to make the drive a success.
While the government’s target was to vaccinate 260,000 people each day, only 150,000 people got registered online in nine days as of Thursday.
Under the circumstances, the government has decided to vaccinate 3.5 million people instead of over 6.0 million in the first month of the drive.
Health experts think the government must simplify the registration process and ensure community engagement alongside launching a amass campaign to encourage people to get registered for receiving the vaccine.
The government has already sent the vaccine doses to all the districts of the country while all the preparations, including the arrangement of equipment and booths, have been taken for carrying out the drive.
Seven million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine are currently available in Bangladesh and people must get registered on www.surokkha.gov.bd for getting a shot.
Talking to UNB, public health expert MH Chowdhury (Lenin), chairman of the medicine department at the Health and Hope Hospital, said the current online vaccine registration process is a complicated one. “Most people in the country cannot get registered through the website or app by themselves.”
He said many people, especially the elderly ones and those living in rural areas, are not well-accustomed to the IT. So, huge people despite having the interest in getting
vaccinated are not getting registered online because of technophobia.”
Lenin thinks app-based registration is suitable for European and developed countries, not for Bangladesh for various reasons. “Even in urban areas, millions of people living in slums don’t have smartphones to get registered on their own. So, many people’s access to the vaccine cannot be ensured due to online registration,” he observed.
The expert said the government can use schools in every locality as registration centres where volunteers will help people get registered for the vaccine without any hassle.
He said the government has already said the registration can be done at the vaccination centres and it is a good initiative.
Dr Be-Nazir Ahmed, former director (disease control) of the DGHS, said there are three major reasons — lack of necessary campaigns, problems regarding the apps and people’s lack of interests — behind the low response to the registration for the vaccine.
“The government needs to carry out a massive campaign to make people understand the importance of receiving the vaccine and remove their confusion and apathy,” he observed.
Dr Be-Nazir said the government should not think all people will show their interest in the vaccine without any motivation. “Those who read newspapers, watch TV, and have scientific knowledge may know the importance of the vaccine. But other people need motivation through a campaign for receiving the vaccine.”
He said if the government engages the workers of community clinics, UHFWC and NGOs with the registration drive, they can talk to people and answer different questions and thus encourage them to receive the vaccine.
Besides, he said, civil society members, media and public representatives should come forward in conducting the campaign.
Former World Health Organisation (WHO) regional advisor Muzaherul Huq said WHO has a direction for the governments of all countries to create public awareness and ensure community engagement for controlling the corona pandemic and making the vaccination drive a success.
“Our government conducted awareness programmes, but those are not enough. It has failed to involve the community with its efforts to contain the virus from the very beginning. That’s why we couldn’t yet encourage people to wear masks. If we fail to engage the community with the vaccination programme, we may not get a success in it.”
Muzaherul said those who are aware and educated will show interest in online or app-based registration. “Most of our people are not habituated to using such apps and online registration. On the other hand, the majority of people in our country are living in rural areas. So, we’ll have to encourage them to get registered through public representatives, NGO workers, teachers, religious leaders and local politicians irrespective of their political identity.”
He said the government can include community engagement in its strategic plan on the vaccination programme and implement it properly.
Dr Be-Nazir Ahmed said: “We’ve 15000, community clinics, 4,500 Union Health and Family Welfare Centres (UHFWC), around 500 upazila health complexes, 64 district hospitals and several maternity centres in every district, and many urban NGOs which have long been providing various vaccines. We can use these establishments and centers for registration and mass vaccination.”
Dr Lenin said many rural people have a perception that they will get the vaccine once the urban and influential people are vaccinated. “That’s why they aren’t showing interest in vaccine registration. The lower prevalence of the virus in rural areas has made villagers less concerned about the vaccine.”
Besides, he said, people have some sort of confusion and fear about the vaccine. “We must dispel people’s confusion and fear through effective communication and campaign.”
As there is a confusion among people about the vaccine, Dr Lenin said noted persons of all professions like ministers, other politicians, actors, singers, doctors, and journalists should take their shots on camera to motivate their followers.
“If the Dhaka University VC takes the vaccine on camera, its other teachers will be encouraged to receive it. What we observe that our policymakers are trying to motivate people only through their own words and statements what I think won’t work. We need to have some examples for people to follow.”
Contacted, Dr ASM Alamgir, Principal Scientific Officer of IEDCR, said they have already taken various steps for simplifying the online registration process as they are getting a low response from people.
As part of the steps, he said, the government has set up registration booths in union sub-health centres, Community Clinics and union information centres.
Besides, he said, people will be urged to go for registration through loudhailers in every locality.
Alamgir said the government will also carry out a media campaign to encourage people to receive the vaccine and deal with negativities.
He said only people above 55 and the frontline professionals are now allowed to get registered for the first phase of vaccination.
