Health workers are often looked at as influencers, whose opinion and actions tend to determine uptake of services such as the on-going COVID-19 vaccination. Strangely, some health workers are still hesitant to taking their COVID-19 jab.
That said, the Gulu Resident District Commissioner Osborn Oceng has given all health workers in his area a three day ultimatum to get vaccinated or risk being arrested and stopped from accessing the hospital premises.
Oceng believes that the hesitancy of the frontline workers is due to the spreading misinformation about the vaccine with many alleging that it has long time adverse health effects. He said such false information has undermined the exercise.
The region is still stuck with the COVID-19 vaccine doses yet they have a short expiry date and Oceng revealed that the ministry of health has already threatened to withdraw the vaccines.
Being on the frontline in fight against COVID-19, many have contracted the virus and some succumbed to it while in the line of duty.