Nearly half of young people are willing to get vaccinated against cholera.
A U-Report survey conducted from 23 December to 29 December 2022 on the same topic. Over 4,750 girls (45%) and boys (55%) aged 15-19 years (22%), 20-24 years (39%), and 25-30 years (24%).
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Port-Au-Prince, 4 January 2023- In conjunction with the cholera vaccination campaign organized by the Ministry of Health in December, a U-Report survey was conducted from 23 to 29 December 2022 on the same topic. More than 4,750 girls (45%) and boys (55%) aged between 15-19 years (22%), 20-24 years (39%) and 25-30 years (24%).
Jean Felix Jean is a 20-year-old U-Reporter who lives in the La Saline neighborhood in Port-au-Prince. He got vaccinated against Cholera without hesitation earlier this week by a vaccination team that was touring his neighborhood.
"The survey on vaccination should serve as a launching pad to further sensitize the population on the necessity of getting vaccinated against Cholera because there is a lot of misinformation and hesitation in doing so. It is essential to explain to people the benefits of vaccination,” said Jean Felix. To set the example, I myself have just been vaccinated to show to all my friends that the vaccine is safe and above all to encourage them to get vaccinated.
Although 95% of the respondents said that cholera is dangerous, 54% of young people are not willing to get vaccinated, with the largest number (40%) worried about the side effects of the vaccine, others do not trust the healthcare system (20%), or do not think the vaccine works (12%).
In addition to the survey, an automated information center called a "chat bot" is available free of charge to get more information on Cholera by texting the word "KOLERA" to 8090. It is anonymous and confidential. Since its launch a few weeks ago, the KOLERA chat bot has recorded more than 82,281 consultations.
"Cholera is a dangerous disease that affects my community in La Saline. The U-Report platform is very beneficial to me, it allows me to get more information about the disease, particularly on modes of transmission and precautions to take thanks to the KOLERA chat bot," said Jean Felix.
"If the vaccination campaign reached my department, I would be the first to get vaccinated against Cholera," said Santia Leger, a 20-year-old student of legal sciences in the Grand'Anse department.
“I am also a U-Reporter. I participated in the U-Report survey on vaccination against cholera launched on 23 December 2022, as I do every time Because it is an opportunity for me to express my point of view on subjects that interest me.
Cholera is advancing rapidly every day in Grand'Anse, especially in remote areas that are difficult to access. If the vaccine could be available as soon as possible in these areas, it would be really good before more people, especially children, contract cholera. I will be the first to be vaccinated. In addition, we need to sensitize the communities on how to wash their hands.”
For Santia, the responses to the surveys should raising flags for health authorities to make important decisions about care and services to prevent more people from contracting cholera. These results are important because they allow authorities to know the level of need of the population to stop Cholera.
Like Santia and Jean Félix, be an agent of positive change in your community by getting vaccinated against cholera and encouraging others to get vaccinated. You can also get more information by visiting the chat bot "KOLERA". Your voice counts!
According to the epidemiological situation of Cholera as of 28 December 2022 from the Ministry of Public Health and Population, Haiti currently has 19,940 suspected cases, 1,427 confirmed cases, 17,273 hospitalized cases and 376 deaths. A vaccination campaign against cholera targeting in the Central and West departments of the country was conducted in two phases from 18 to 22 December 2022 and from 27 to 28 December 2022
