• Government must bridge the information gap on the Covid-19 vaccines.
• Journalists have more questions than answers on the vaccine.
• Media must be engaged on the validity and efficacy of the vaccines.

Zambia Institute of Independent Media Alliance (ZIIMA) has called on the Ministry of Health to quickly bridge the knowledge gap on the Covid-19 vaccines to be administered in the country next month.
Alliance Vice President Jubiel Zulu said lack of adequate information on the vaccine is leaving more journalists with questions than answers.
Ms. Zulu stated that the Alliance is alive to the fact that journalists have in the past been neglected especially on stimulus packages and personal Protective equipment leaving them to provide the necessities despite being front liners, but wonder why they have now been prioritized to receive the vaccines.
She said the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders must engage the Media on the validity and efficacy of the vaccines so that the dissemination of information is conducted in a well and balanced manner.
“We acknowledge that the increase of COVID-19 cases is speedy spreading but is leaving more journalists with questions especially that there is lack of information on the vaccines.”
“We are also aware that journalists have in the past been neglected especially on stimulus packages and personal Protective equipment leaving them to provide the necessities despite been front liners. This fact raises more questions on why journalists have now been prioritized to receive the vaccines,” Ms. Zulu said.
Ms. Zulu advised journalists to reflect on the effectiveness of the vaccines further stating that the Alliance would also want authorities to be prioritized especially the leaders, seconded by most vulnerable and the elderly people.
“ZIIMA knows that in the media fraternity, journalists who are essential workers have been protecting themselves and might perhaps not have recorded more cases than duty bearers who are also at very high risk of contracting COVID-19 pandemic hence the need to prioritize them.”
Meanwhile, Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zambia said it is in support of government’s pronouncements to prioritize the media, health personnel among others in the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine as they are frontline workers.
MISA Zambia Chairperson Hellen Mwale stated that media practitioners are frontline workers who continually risk their lives when collecting and disseminating news and information to the public, hence their health and safety is paramount.
“We recognize the various essential roles that the media play in providing information and platforms for both the government and members of the public to express themselves hence their safety and protection against the pandemic needs to be prioritized,” Ms. Mwale explained.
Recently, Ministry of Health Director of Infectious Diseases Lloyd Mulenga said the country will next month receive the first consignment of Covid-19 vaccines.

Professor Mulenga said the vaccines will be given to twenty percent of the people who are at a High risk of contracting the virus such as Journalists, Health workers, elderly and those working on the county’s borders.