VACCINATIONS: REPLACE POLITICS, WITH PRAGMATISM

Rajendra Aneja urges leaders to stop squabbling and focus on vaccinations

Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, the world has been engulfed by the“politics of the pandemic”. Presidents like Trump of the USA and Bolsonaro of Brazil, played down the perils of the disease. They refused to lockdown or source vaccines proactively. Trump blamed China for the virus. The blame-game and lack of focus on the disease, resulted in severe losses of human lives.

After the vaccines were discovered, began the politics of cornering them. The richer nations booked vaccines to cover their populations, three to four times. Economically weak countries, especially in Africa, received negligible quantities of vaccines, even after four months of the vaccines being discovered. Nigeria has only vaccinated 0.4 percent of its population, with 0.7 million vaccines disbursed, by 31 March 2021.

There has also been squabbling between the UK and European Union, about the efficacy of the vaccines. Doubts have been raised about the effectiveness of Oxford’s AstraZeneca, even though UK is deploying it successfully to fight COVID-19.

There is also growing vaccine nationalism. Western countries are shy of endorsing the vaccines from China and Russia. Countries are also prioritizing their own populations, against export commitments. This is understandable for countries have to manage their own populations too.

However, shunning all the politics, countries like Israel, Australia, New Zealand have focused on vaccinations to make their countries safe. Dubai has employed mobile clinics to bolster vaccinations. Instead of waiting for people to come, the government, is taking the vaccines to them. This is the only way to defeat Covid-19.

Countries with large populations like India, Brazil, Nigeria, Malaysia, Egypt, etc., should adopt the UAE model of mobile vaccinations. Inoculating people on a phased basis, ensures control on the numbers being immunized. However, it is very slow. In 11 weeks, India has vaccinated just about five percent of the population. Now, India is on the verge of a second wave. Vaccinations in countries, reeling under the Covid-19 pressures, should be undertaken by mobile units. Vaccinations should commence 24x7, at railway stations, airports, universities, shopping malls, temples, mosques, etc.

To accelerate the vaccinations and create awareness about Covid-19, health departments should use “Retailing and Propaganda” vans. These are four-wheel vans or three-wheel autos, which undertake vaccinations and propaganda activities.

Health authorities can deploy vans with freezers, to transport the vaccines to the slums and villages. Health workers can vaccinate from the vans, to the accompaniment of music.

In addition, a propagandist distributes masks free to the assembled villagers. He makes announcements on the measures to avoid infections, i.e. masks, social distancing, washing hands, etc. Videos can show how to use the mask, maintain social distancing, importance and method of washing hands, etc. Showing is always more effective than merely telling. The van can cover at least two villages per day. If three hundred villagers congregate at every meeting, a van could vaccinate 600 villagers daily. Retailing and propaganda vans have been used effectively in countries like India, Nigeria, Kenya and Brazil, etc., to propagate the consumption of consumer products in the smaller towns and villages by companies. Now, this grass-root retailing mechanism can be deployed to vaccinate villagers.

“Covid-19 Warrior Boats”

Many villages and tiny townships are inaccessible by roads, in countries like India, Egypt, Brazil, Peru, etc. In these countries many villages can be accessed through boats. Health authorities can deploy boats to vaccinate villagers. There are few roads connecting the villages along the Nile River (longest river in the world, 6,853 kilometres) in Egypt and Africa. Most of the villages along the Amazona River (second longest river in the world, 6,400 kilometres) which flows through Peru, Colombia and Venezuela, are inaccessible by road. The villages along the Niger River in Nigeria (4,180 kilometres), can be covered through boats for vaccinations.

In Brazil and Peru, we travelled to many villages on the banks of the Amazona River, briefing villagers on personal hygiene and dental care. In water-bound regions, accessible only through boats, Health authorities can initiate special “Covid-19 Warrior Boats”, which will carry medical staff, vaccines and masks. They will visit five to six villages per day, vaccinate dwellers and distribute masks. They can also organise demonstrations on how to maintain social distancing and the importance of washing hands and sanitisation. The team can distribute pictorial pamphlets to educate the villagers. The speed boats should visit villages on the basis of fixed itineraries, to ensure that inhabitants take both the vaccine jabs.

Mother Ship with Vaccines

A refrigerated mother ship would carry the vaccines. It will feed 10 to 15 smaller speed “Covid-19 Warrior Boats”, carrying health workers to surrounding villages. At night, the smaller boats return to the Mother ship for replenishment.

Health departments should deploy some of the mass grass-root level retailing techniques used by FMCG companies, to vaccinate villagers, who cannot be accessed easily through road networks.

Operation Vaccine Flood

Globally around 230 vaccine candidates are being researched to fight Covid-19. Of these, about 10 vaccines are being deployed globally. By the end of 2021, hopefully we could have 15 to 20 vaccines approved for global usage. Gradually, there should be no shortage or queues for vaccines, in any country. WHO should launch “Operation Vaccine Flood”, to ensure that by the end of 2021 or mid-2022, every person should be able to buy a vaccine of choice, from any pharmacist.

If a lockdown is declared, then the time should be deployed to vaccinate people in their homes. Just confining people to homes, testing and tracing is insufficient. It is time for mass vaccination in homes, apartments, slums. It would be worthwhile to declare a lockdown in selected localities, only for vaccinations.

Covid-19 is a massive monster and getting stronger with variants. It is time to stop bickering and focus on vaccinating every citizen, in every country. Vaccination is the only umbrella we have, against the Covid-19 downpour. So, it has to be implemented with precision and discipline. Countries can neglect the vaccinations, at their own peril. Aneja was the Managing Director of Unilever Tanzania. He is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School and is the author of “Rural Marketing Across Countries”

COVID-19 IS A MASSIVE MONSTER AND GETTING STRONGER WITH VARIANTS. IT IS TIME TO STOP BICKERING AND FOCUS ON VACCINATING EVERY CITIZEN, IN EVERY COUNTRY