Considering the COVID-19 crisis in Laos, LAOHUN organized and implemented an online vaccination awareness campaign on September 25th and 26th, 2021. The goal aimed to provide general information related to the pandemic and vaccinations. More specifically, the purpose of the campaign was to organize a dissemination meeting with students and faculties, increase awareness, knowledge, and perception towards Covid-19 vaccination, and to encourage students to create vaccination awareness within their spheres of influence. This campaign was led by Prof. Dr. Mayfong Mayxay, Vice Rector of University of Health Sciences (UHS), and Vice Chair of LAOHUN, and Co-led by Dr. Ketkesone Phrasisombath, Vice Director, Department of Academic Affairs, UHS, and LAOHUN coordinator (moderator). 

 

To launch the campaign, an online link registration and the QR code were created and were sent to LAOHUN networks and the public three days prior to the event. The campaign started with a welcome speech by the Chairman of LAOHUN, Assoc. Prof. Fongsamouth Soutthammavong, which was followed by the presentation of the current Covid-19 situation by Prof. Mayfong Mayxay. After this, a panel discussion took place, including questions, answers, or comments from the meeting’s participants. The meeting covered Covid-19 the prevention and control strategy of LAO PDR, Covid-19 vaccination and strategy in LAO PDR, laboratory testing and recommendation for accuracy and reliability of the results, and type of Covid-19 vaccines and where to get them in LAO PDR. 

 

The awareness campaign counted 380 participants attending the meeting. Attendees comprised students, faculty coordinators, and staff, coming from five different universities. Along with those who joined live, the recorded session has been viewed more than 17,000 times, shared 269 times, and has received more than 230 comments, revealing the wide reach and breadth of the campaign. Thanks to this, participants are now equipped with necessary information related to COVID-19 in LAO PDR, which includes how to detect the disease, treat it and more essentially, where, and how to get vaccinated in the country.

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Many of the participants showed interest in the responses, prevention, and control strategy of COVID-19 in Laos, the trend of COVID-19 pandemic, the implementation of COVID-19 vaccination in Laos, treatment for infected individual, types of vaccine that are available in Laos, side effect of the vaccine, and the place from where they can obtain the vaccine. There were also suggestions on conducting more online vaccination campaigns every three months and recommendations on having more information on such as vaccination in pregnant women, non-medication prevention strategy, and receiving a third shot of the COVID-19 vaccine. With the information gained from the event, the students and lecturers can continue to encourage their family and communities to prevent the infection from COVID-19 by vaccination.