TITLE:
COVID-19 Vaccine, Asymptomatic Cases, Risk Communication and Community Engagement in Sub-Saharan Africa
AUTHORS:
David Houéto, Ferdinand Daga, Alexandre Timé, Romulus Honhonou, Maurice Agonnoudé
KEYWORDS:
COVID-19 Vaccine, Asymptomatic, Preventive Measures, Risk Communication and Community Engagement
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Preventive Medicine,
Vol.11 No.3,
March
17,
2021
ABSTRACT: African region will probably be the last region in COVID-19 vaccine uptake. But that shouldn’t be a problematic issue if the emphasis is maintained on the role Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) can play in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic through the adoption of preventive measures. We used the issue of asymptomatic cases to illustrate the importance that should still be given to preventive measures such as hand washing, mask wearing, physical and social distancing, knowing that vaccines have never been 100% effective. Also with the issue of variants in COVID-19, the vaccine couldn’t be considered as a panacea. Lessons from the Nordic countries are strong arguments to put emphasis on preventive measures in the region.