Bridging the gap to COVID-19 vaccines through community dialogue

Ali Muhammad Ali is a young tailor and a native of Gwange Ward in Damaturu, Yobe State. Ali first learned about the vaccine in 2022 while listening to the radio program, but he put off getting vaccinated, he did not think the vaccine was effective enough because of the rumors and misconceptions he had heard about it. Ali described how, despite his initial reservations, he was persuaded to take the vaccine.

“I was invited by a friend to attend one of the community dialogues held in my community. During the dialogue, I learned things about the vaccine that I had never heard before. When I returned home that day, I met with a family member who had been long vaccinated, and I told myself that if the vaccine did not kill him, I would get my own shot. That day, I bravely decided to get the vaccine. Surprisingly, I did not experience any side effects as predicted. Instead, I carried on with my regular job of making clothes”.

Mercy Corps, through the vaccine access program, supports implementation wards in conducting dialogue sessions in order to foster trust between the program, Yobe State Primary Health Care Board (YSPHCB), and target participants. Religious leaders, community leaders, women leaders, health workers, the vaccination team, and program participants would gather to discuss how to increase acceptance and uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine while eradicating misinformation that is unique to their respective communities. The discussion has helped the program understand the current challenges as to why the vaccines are not accepted.

Ali became a vaccine champion in his community, and began to get more people in his community vaccinated, sensitizing and encouraging young people to get vaccinated by using himself as a testimony. He has raised vaccine awareness in his community, particularly among those his age. He believes that if more people are immunized, the pandemic will be eradicated in Nigeria.

“Mercy Corps is the only INGO whose work has significantly improved the lives of many people, particularly the young people in my community. I have friends who are now doing well and enjoying their lives as a result of Mercy Corps' intervention. I want to express my gratitude to Mercy Corps for all the assistance they have provided to this local government, particularly in my community”, Ali added.

Kulduli Alhaji Bukar, aged 55, is visually impaired and lives in Bindigari community with his 23 children and two wives. Kuduli had doubts about the vaccine's efficacy due to a number of myths and misconceptions, including the claims that it causes illness, madness, and sudden death. And because he never thought the virus existed, it was difficult for him to believe the vaccines were safe and effective. An opportunity presented itself when he was chosen to represent the local committee of visually impaired people in a dialogue session organized by Mercy Corps.  Kuduli now shares how this one experience changed his life.

“During the dialogue sessions, I discovered that all of the rumors I had heard about the vaccines were false, so I went and got my shot. Vaccinations have been administered to eight members of my household, including both of my wives.”

Kuduli rose to prominence as a vaccine advocate in his neighborhood. Despite his health issues, he did not back down from educating his neighbors about the benefits of vaccinations by citing cases of polio and other illnesses that had occurred in the past and how the world had survived because of the vaccines. He continues to convince his community members, letting them know that the COVID-19 vaccine is no different from previous vaccines.

About the Vaccine Access Program

Mercy Corps Nigeria and CARE International as members of the INGO collaborative are implementing the COVID-19 Vaccine Access Program in Yobe State. The program goal is to improve COVID-19 vaccination coverage by increasing vaccine confidence, acceptance and uptake in vulnerable communities in Yobe State. It will document and share those lessons and approaches broadly for increase vaccination coverage in Nigeria.