Social media and vaccine hesitancy

Social media platforms are an important outlet for disseminating information in various aspects of life, and many people are using these platforms and virtual meetings to educate their members.

In this era of COVID-19 pandemic, social media platforms are being used widely to share information and education about the disease. This COVID-19 has caused many deaths and made others sick and is, indeed, putting a huge burden on healthcare systems in many countries.

The economic and health effect of the pandemic has hit communities in different ways in many sectors, and initial research has shown that migrants and other minority or marginalised populations, for example, have become more vulnerable.

In Finland, social media platforms are used to circulate information and education among citizens; migrant groups or associations are also using social media to communicate about the disease, its safety protocols and prevention or treatment.

Many migrants, including those in the Ghanaian community, are using those channels to inform and educate their members about the disease.

Adhering to safety protocols

Ghanaian migrants and others continue to make great efforts to avoid becoming infected with the disease by adhering to the safety protocols such as social distancing, not hugging or shaking hands, wearing of masks, regularly washing of hands or using hand sanitisers, etc.

As vaccines are being administered to people, I can imagine how many Ghanaian migrants here have embraced the vaccination, which is to help control or minimise the effect of the virus on patients.

According to key health institutions and experts, vaccines are an important part of mitigating the effects of COVID-19 as they reduce the severity of the symptoms in case one becomes infected.

Some friends here and elsewhere have taken the first and second shots and are doing okay. They are so elated to have had that opportunity. They can have opportunities once they have life, and COVID-19 cannot stop them if they keep safe.

Social media, lies/misinformation, conspiracy theories

It is becoming clear that access to social media is allowing many lay people to stray into areas reserved for experts. Even people who obviously have almost zero knowledge of technical subjects of topics are communicating on the subject and claiming to know it all.

Sadly, there seems to be vaccine hesitancy in Ghana because of conspiracy theories, cynicism, ignorance, and worse of all, sheer mischief by some people. Many videos, audios and written texts paint a picture of scary outcomes should one take the vaccine.

As I wrote some time ago, some people think the vaccines brought to African countries are different from the ones being used in the Western nations; therefore, the ones brought to Africa could be dangerous and meant to depopulate the Black race. Some have even claimed without any proof that the vaccines would leave people with sexual dysfunction.

All this has resulted in doubts about efficacy of the vaccines brought to Ghana and other African countries.

Such conspiracy theories remind me about HIV/AIDS. Conspiracy theories were rife about the disease in Africa with some people claiming that HIV/AIDS had been created in laboratories in the West to kill Blacks.

Eventually, HIV/AIDS saw many infections and deaths in Ghana and other African countries. Today, Sub-Saharan Africa remains the most affected region in the world with more than two-thirds (67%) of the about 35 million people living with HIV, according to the UNAIDS. 

The way forward

Ghanaian migrants in Finland are generally keeping a positive mind and hoping for things to get better in the near future with the COVID-19 situation.

They are generally adhering to directives by the Finnish health authorities about COVID-19 safety protocols. They are taking the vaccines as a precaution.

I think in Ghana too, there is the need to intensify education about the vaccines to help control COVID-19.

The key stakeholders—government/institutions of state, health authorities, religious leaders, traditional authorities, non-governmental organisations, etc.— should all come in even more strongly than before to educate people in our localities. The media should be one of the leading groups in this endeavour.  Thank you.