forefront of ensuring that the necessary action is being taken to combat the spread of this Covid pandemic . This is not the case .
Unfortunately among the first to cast aspersion on the efficacy of the vaccine was the church , especially the Catholic Church which has had a running battle with the government on vaccines aimed at controlling cervical cancer among girls .
The Catholics had advised its adherents not to take the cancer vaccine , claiming it was a ploy by the government to introduce family planning . The Catholic Church has a staunch stand against any unnatural interference with the sanctity of life .
So when the Covid vaccine was available it was met with a similar skepticism not to mention that a high ranking Cardinal in Rome called the pandemic a hoax and advised against the vaccine . The seed of doubt had been sown and other churches took up the clarion call .
This uncertain situation was ready fodder for the conspiracy theorists who went to town with so many fantastic scenarios supposedly backed by scientific evidence that the virus was not only manmade but a nefarious scheme by big Pharma to make mega bucks .
Add into the mix a very active and notoriously anti-establishment social media who do not hesitate to spread misinformation and Kenyans were in a vortex of a plethora of conflicting information that was difficult to determine its veracity .
You then add a natural tendency to be cautious and adopt a wait and see attitude that many use in the face of uncertainty . This is the time one reaches out to one ’ s peers for guidance and advice and if not forthcoming one buries their head in the sand and hopes the scourge will pass .
The sensible strategy would have been for the government to mandate vaccination , Kenyans understand orders better especially if the repercussions of not complying are sufficiently severe . You do not permit a national health issue to be decided by individuals , it is courting disaster .
“ To succumb to a preventable disease is to negate the very education and science that has brought you this far . There is enough misery and death that this pandemic has caused and you should be concerned enough to be making a beeline to any vaccine , if and when it is available . Don ’ t hesitate !”
But the government could not mandate that the people get vaccinated simply because it did not have the vaccines and so the government could only mandate strict protocols which were very unpopular and the populace did its best to ignore most of them goaded on by the church and social media .
When the vaccines began to be available , the government had to allocate them to those most at risk , either workwise or age wise . By now there was resistance and misinformation had done its damage and anyway to most it appeared that the pandemic was already subsiding .
So when the subsequent waves struck with mutated variations most people were caught unprepared , smug in the knowledge that they had beaten the pandemic . The disturbing fact was that the most affected were the very same people who thought they were following the protocols to the T .
The irony was that those who willingly followed the protocols as given by the government somehow became hesitant to heed the same government when it asked them to be vaccinated yet the disease demographics show that the government was right on its plan of priorities .
FIRST WORD
It should by now be very evident that the pandemic is not only real and virulent but that even for those who contract and survive it usually have a protracted and painful rehabilitation period . This alone should spur people to seek ways to avoid hospitalization .
The vaccine does not mean you will not get the virus or that it is a substitute for the Covid protocols in place . All the vaccine promises is that it may elevate your immunity to a level that you will not contract the disease and if you do it will not lead to hospitalization or a severe bout .
In the absence of another viable alternative , would it not make sense to get vaccinated ? Unless you live in an alternative dimension you are aware that this pandemic is worldwide and that millions have died , why would you opt to be a statistic without giving yourself a fighting chance ?
When you fall sick you go to a doctor not to church or social media for assistance . That is your first level of contact and that is where you seek medical intervention and trust that they have the expertise to combat your ailment . You can then pray or Google for more information if you so choose .
There is now a new dangerous development of know-it-alls who are specifying that they will only be vaccinated with Moderna or Sputnik or whatever as it is more effective . Has Covid-19 become a supermarket disease where you go to pick your favorite brand as a cure ?
It is insane to base your medical decisions on hearsay , you have never done so in the past and there is no compelling reason you should start now . Every one of you has access to a doctor or a person in the medical profession , please get competent advice .
To succumb to a preventable disease is to negate the very education and science that has brought you this far . There is enough misery and death that this pandemic has caused and you should be concerned enough to be making a beeline to any vaccine , if and when it is available . Don ’ t hesitate ! ■