CIDRI-Africa hosts Vaccine Literacy Training Workshop in Khayelitsha

The Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa (CIDRI-Africa) hosted a Vaccine Literacy Training Workshop at the Training Centre, Sub council 10 offices in Khayelitsha on the 8^th of February. The workshop was part of the Centre’s public engagement programme research advocacy project. The training improved community and health advocates’ vaccine literacy and helped them gain an understanding of vaccine research and development.

The workshop covered the following topics: introduction to vaccines, the difference between vaccination and immunisation, SARS-CoV-2 vaccine development and research, and myths about vaccines.

Some of the misconceptions discussed during the workshop involved: rumours about vaccines altering human DNA, side effects of vaccines, disease arising from live attenuated vaccines, the rapid development of the vaccine, and the need for more Africans to participate in and conduct research.

A follow-up to the training was requested by the Khayelitsha Health Forum as issues related to SARS-CoV-2 vaccine procurement could not be addressed due to the absence of the relevant government parties.

Attendees recommended expansion and integration of the literacy workshops into the Department of Health’s community engagement programme.

CIDRI-Africa collaborated with the City of Cape Town Health Department, and invited other stakeholders such as the Western Cape Provincial Department of Health, Khayelitsha Health Forum, the Public Engagement Forum, Heads Up, Treatment Action Campaign and Médecins Sans Frontieres Khayelitsha to take part in the training session.