EFFECTIVENESS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON COMMUNICATING THE IMPORTANCE AND SAFETY OF COVID-19 VACCINATION IN NIGERIA: A STUDY OF RESIDENTS OF ENUGU METROPOLIS
Keywords:
Effectiveness, Social Media, Communicating, COVID-19, VaccinationAbstract
The study assessed the effectiveness of social media on communicating the importance and safety of COVID-19 vaccination in Nigeria, with a focus on residents of Enugu metropolis. There is growing evidence of vaccine delays or refusals due to a lack of awareness on the importance, trust on safety, or effectiveness of vaccines, alongside persisting access issues. The study was anchored on the Health Belief model and the survey research method was employed in the execution of the study. The researchers found out among others that Nigerians have great exposure to social media campaigns on COVID-19 vaccination. The researchers also found out that a lot of Nigerians did not perceive the COVID-19 vaccination as safe, hence their unwillingness to be vaccinated. The researchers however, recommended among others that persuasion campaigns may be especially useful in nations where herd immunity thresholds are not met. A strong communication system that engages the public on problems of trustworthiness and safety can help boost COVID-19 vaccination uptake and build confidence in current routine immunisation programs, many of which have been disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.