“Vaccine means safety”

“I decided to get vaccinated because I had to keep myself, my family, friends and the community safe. To anyone that is not vaccinated, the one thing I would want to say to them is, take the vaccine so that you can be healthy, you can stay safe and go about your daily duties.”

Imaobong Rikevwe, lives in Delta State, Nigeria. Like many people before the pandemic, Imaobong worked as a full-time Chef, preparing meals and delivering food in offices and homes.

The most significant change for her when the lockdown went into effect was being confined at home and unable to physically meet with her friends and community members.

With the lockdown lifted and the vaccination campaign underway, Imaobong became aware of a wave of misinformation sweeping the state. Both friends and family were hesitant to get the vaccine, prompting her to use her U-Reporter skills to provide accurate information.

“They all talked about the rumors that the vaccine is not healthy, but I took the vaccine, used myself as an example and told them; I took this vaccine and see me today, I'm strong. I'm not in the hospital. So I had to debunk every rumor, and I showed them that I'm okay, I didn't die. So with that, they were able to take the vaccine too.”

Imaobong believes that as many people in her community as possible should be immunized against COVID-19. “It's very important for them to get vaccinated. Taking the vaccine means they will be safe, and then people around them will be safe from the virus as well.”