Covid-19: Don speaks on facts, misconceptions at UNICEF workshop in Kano

Covid-19: Don speaks on facts, misconceptions at UNICEF workshop in Kano

The Vice Chancellor, Federal University, Kashere, Gombe state, Professor Umar Pate has said that the COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly and globally affected every human endeavour and rendered our various societies tense, challenged and even insecure.

According to the Vice Chancellor, the situation is heightened by uncertainties and boundless flow of information because of developments in ICTS, populism politics, pervasive poverty, rise of ethno-religious tensions, and general decline in standards and values, etc.

Professor Pate made this observation while presenting a paper on “Debunking rumors and conspiracy theories about Covid-19 Vaccine” at a workshop organised by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), as part of social responsibility and efforts to save lives.

The two days workshop which is in collaboration with the Child Rights Information Bureau (CRIB) of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture was held at Tahir Guest Palace, was attended by Journalists where dialogue on demand creation for Covid-19 Vaccines was achieved.

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Geoffrey Njoku, Communication Specialist, UNICEF read the specific objectives of the dialogue to advocate to government, federal and states to provide logistics support and operation support for the delivery of the vaccines, demand generation for the uptake of the Vaccines and allays fears by anarchists about the safety of the Vaccines during the workshop.

Welcoming the participants who cut across electronic and print media, Rafid Salih, WASH Manager Kano Field Office on behalf of UNICEF-Chief Field Office, told the Journalists that there is need for proper communication to the public to understand the importance of the Vaccines because of the effects of the virus on the people.
He explained that the role of the media is essential in saving the lives of the citizens.

While buttressing his presentation, Professor Umar Pate said that ICTS have produced limitless possibilities in how individuals and the media produce, process and distribute contents, the new media according to him increasingly made the world interconnected, interdependent and borderless in terms of space and time.

“In the current era, confidence in the media is defined by technology, quality of content and credibility, truth is under attack from factories of fake news, agents of disinformation and intense weaponization of information characterized by intensification of disinformation, hate and dangerous speech 

“Societies are worried about the prevalence and consequences of misuse of the digital, online and social media to the extent that the conventional media and individuals are deeply involved.  They manifest in spread of fake news, offensive speech and provocation of conflicts and crises Misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation on Covid-19

“Covid-19 came in the era of the internet, social media and digital communication. The new media have given people vast choices and sources of information at little or no cost.

“Prevalence of mixed messaging, misinformation and disinformation, Confinement and social distancing measures during and after the lockdown have led to the production and circulation of rumours and misconceptions about Covid-19 and its treatment and vaccination”. He said.

On rumours and misconceptions, Professor Pate lamented that Professor Mansur O. Oche of Community Medicine Dept, UDUTH, identified some of the popular misconceptions and fakery about the Covid 19 vaccine to include, misconception and the rapidity with which the vaccines were produced makes them unsafe.

“Fact: Covid-19 vaccines have gone through scientific stages of clinical trials and safety reviews misconception: One can get covid-19 infection from the vaccines Covid-19 infection cannot be transmitted from the vaccines as none of the currently authorized vaccines is capable of producing the virus Fact,

“Misconception: The vaccine can alter one’s genetic codes Fact: The Covid-19 vaccine does not alter one’s genetic codes. When injected into the body, the vaccine will make the body produce immunity against Covid-19 and has nothing to do with one’s genetic codes.” he said

Also Dr. Murtala Jibril, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics took the participants through the science behind Covid-19 vaccines; vaccine to the rescue.

He said that COVID-19 is a viral disease caused by an emerging strain of coronavirus known as severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS COV-2). “It belongs to the family of Coronaviruses (COV); strains of viruses cause common cold and more severe respiratory diseases.

Covid-19: Don speaks on facts, misconceptions at UNICEF workshop in Kano