Yesterday, I was with my family members who are in their forty’s at a vaccination center in Lahore, a well populated city of Pakistan. As the government of Pakistan has issued a schedule for its citizen to get vaccinated in prescribed time so that day was our day to get dose of vaccine. While siting in the waiting area, a long distance relative of mine was working there as a doctor saw me and called me in his office. After traditional greetings he asked why you are here so I told him the whole scenario.
He said, I was here since the start of vaccination in Pakistan and I have observed a common Pakistan did not want to get vaccinated. That’s a surprising fact for me. Why the people are not willing to accept vaccine? Is their immune system being so strong that they don’t need it? Or is there any propaganda that are misleading the citizens? I asked him all the questions so patiently that he smiled and said we have a lot of time to discuss I am not running away as I am on official break. I smiled and started to look at him.
He started with story of Edward Jenner 1798 a doctor who published the cure of smallpox by injecting cowpox disease in humans. At that common people and even medical practitioner did not listen to him and started criticizing him. Moreover, religious personalities also reacted and said the disease was sent by God and there is no solution to that in result thousands of children died until the world realized Edward was right.
As we all heard “History repeats itself” same is happening in Pakistan. Even still in this modern area about 19% person are not willing to get vaccinated. Whereas 1 out of 10 Pakistani did not want to get vaccinated. People have made several astrology’s related to the vaccine such as extremist religious people argue by saying it is infidel vaccine, few say it’s the plan of enemies to make Pakistanis weak by injecting another virus in them and even a well-known political leader of Pakistan claimed that the virus was a grand illusion to target Islamic nations, designed to allow Jews to rule the world, by injecting nano-chips in the bodies of people to gain control of them through 5G towers. He said, you are talking about vaccine even Pakistanis are not ready to accept the existence of virus.
I agreed with him on all these ongoing conspiracies and I asked what are the solution of these problem in your school of thought. He said, 1st of all media is doing a very good job by promoting vaccine and they need to escalate their program to remote areas of Pakistan. Media regulatory authorities should take strict action against the spread of these astrology’s. Government must arrange seminars to teach religious elements about the benefits of vaccine and remove their confusions. Public education is also very important task that should be done at state level. Health staff who is also spreading false information should be dealt with proper facts by the health department. Lastly, researchers, influencers and healthcare professionals should spread positivity with their skills.
In the meantime, my family got back from the lab after getting vaccinated and I thanked the doctor for such useful information and left the center. While coming home I thought, spreading awareness is not only the duty of public authorities but it was the responsibility of every sensible citizen. I hope soon all the Pakistan acknowledged the supremacy of covid vaccine.
sincerely,
aqeel ahmad
057
aero section A