- A situational report released by the Ministry of Health last week shows that northern Kenya is lagging behind in vaccination.
- The report says 2.7 per cent of adults have been fully vaccinated.
Image: REUTERS
The slow uptake of Covid-19 vaccine in rural Kenya when the country is at the height of a fourth wave could be driven by misinformation about the jab.
A situational report released by the Ministry of Health last week shows that northern Kenya is lagging behind in vaccination, with some counties such as Marsabit having inoculated only 0.3 per cent of their population.
Even as the government dashes to have as many people as possible vaccinated, myths and conspiracy theories both globally and locally remains one of the greatest setbacks.
The myths have instilled fear on citizens, sensitisation programmes rolled out by the Ministry of Health notwithstanding.
Nationally, only two in 100 Kenyans have been vaccinated.
According to the situational report released on August 16, Kenya has received 2,323,100 vaccines and only 2,053,717 had been used.
The report says 2.7 per cent of adults have been fully vaccinated.
“I think the vaccine development was rushed and I don’t quite trust it,” says Paul Kimani, a boda-boda operator in Kikuyu township.
“I heard it affects the DNA and might change the genetics," a student at one of the institutions in Kabete area told the Star.
However, this has been discounted by experts and the World Health Organisation.
"If it needed to change the genetics, it would have to go to the nucleus of the cells, which contains your DNA," the WHO says in a statement that discounts common vaccine myths.
It says the vaccine works on the ribosomes, the minute particles consisting of RNA and associated proteins, hence it doesn’t change the DNA.
“It affects the vulnerable only, people under 65 years don’t need the vaccine as their bodies can fight Covid-19,” says 20-year-old Lucy Mukami, a shop attendant in Kangemi.
Some believe that being vaccinated will interfere with one's fertility. “I heard it affects fertility, am a 30-year-old mother of one, I still want more children. I already struggled to get my first born,” says Mary Atieno, a business lady in Gikomba.
WHO says the AstraZeneca jab is a viral vector type of vaccine that cannot affect your genetics, hence your fertility won't be affected.
Some individuals have refused to take the vaccine on the grounds that they at one point contracted the virus and recovered and that they now have immunity.
“I heard if you had Covid-19 before, you become immune, as your body will be able to fight,” James Kinyanjui a matatu conductor in Wangige said. “There was this time I got a serious cold, I took lemon and ginger and it went away, why should I be vaccinated?" he added.
However, a new paper published in the Journal of Internal Medicine discusses the protection offered by vaccines as opposed to through infection.
It says while immunity from natural infection starts to decline after six to eight months, fully vaccinated people still have good immunity after a year—and probably longer.
“I heard it has microchips, and the Americans and Chinese are collaborating to control the world,” a 23-year-old local artist said.
“I watched the movie that predicted coronavirus, ‘Contagion 2011’, am scared of getting the virus,” says Ken, an action movie fanatic from a local university, adding, “Plus, it is optional, why are they trying to convince everyone to get the vaccine yet we are protecting ourselves using our own measures.”
A health expert said the microchips myth is at best, laughable. The microchip would be impossible to make as it would have to be thousands of times smaller than the smallest microchip we have.
Plus it would have been easier and cost effective if they used the phones instead.
He says if you look at research, there is more good than bad, with other vaccines, the long term side effects are rare. It is therefore better to be safe than sorry.
Women especially fear the jab affects menstruation.
“My friend took the jab and unfortunately she told me her period was heavy and came in clots," Lina, a beautician at a spa in Nairobi CBD says.
However, WHO says changes to the menstrual cycle seem to be short-lived, just a couple of cycles.
Robbie, a third year procurement student, agrees while the vaccine is safe, the various myths need to be discounted to the layman with scientific facts combined.
-Edited by SKanyara