Governor Obaseki Policy On Forced Vaccination In Edo By Frederick Braimah
The Edo State governor just announced that beginning from mid-September, a policy that is akin to forced vaccination would be in place. To be clear, the Governor announced that non vaccinated persons in Edo State will be banned from banking hall transactions, places of worship like mosques, churches, traditional worship grounds, and other large gatherings to mitigate the spread of Covid-19.
The world health organisation has consistently announced that the Covid-19 vaccines are primarily safe but experimental because this is the first time mRNA vaccines are widely tested on humans. As we speak, the scientific world is still gathering data on the side effects of this experimental vaccine-like every other medication.
It is a cannon in all experimental scientific research, whether in the pure or social sciences that it is unethical to compel respondents to participate in an experimental study. Participation in scientific research and investigations is voluntary. It will take time for science to collate the findings of this experimental vaccine to mitigate some of the side effects as noticed in some more developed countries.
Consequently, it is unethical for Mr. Governor to compel people living in Edo to participate in the Covid-19 experimental vaccination.
The banks and other organisations with a propensity for large crowds should be encouraged and assisted in enforcing the non-pharmaceutical intervention announced by the World Health Organisation.
Stopping Muslims from attending Juma’at on Fridays and Christians from worshipping on Sundays because of the inability to produce evidence of vaccination is an invitation for a needless crisis in peaceful Edo.
The non-pharmaceutical measures of social distancing, mouth and nose masking, in my opinion, are adequate for these places of worship.
Edo state population is estimated at nearly 4 million. I am not sure the vaccine rollout in Edo State has hit the one million mark. It means, therefore, that the larger population that may not be vaccinated for no fault of theirs will suffer the effects of this policy.
I hope this Governor is also not mulling job losses for government workers that may not have been vaccinated. Is the governor also saying that pregnant women and other categories of persons temporarily exempted from taking the jab will have their fundamental human rights abridged also?
I advocate, therefore, that government should embark on massive enlightenment programs to sensitise Edo people on the adoption of non-pharmaceutical measures and appeal to people to vaccinate. Participation should be voluntary as obtained in all experimental best practices.
This Governor has done so much and must not present himself as anti-people or anti-whatever.
Frederick Braimah. Ph.D.
