In Cameroon, “you, are you coming to take the CAN vaccine? “

It is 10 am and already seven people are in the queue. Tuesday January 11, two days before Cameroon’s second match in the African Cup of Nations (CAN), against Ethiopia, the Yaoundé international vaccination center is always full.

“I came today because I want to go see the match, explains Jérôme, 22 years old. Until the final, I want to support the Lions in the stands! Before, I did not have the will and did not see the effectiveness of the vaccine. I was also a little afraid of the reaction of the guys in the neighborhood. “

Under pressure from European clubs who did not want ” to free “ their African players because of the spread of the Omicron variant, the African Football Confederation (CAF) required that each spectator present a vaccination certificate in addition to a negative PCR test of less than 72 hours.

At the entrance to the stadiums, several checks are carried out by young volunteers supervised by the police. A 60% spectator gauge (80% for Cameroon matches) is also applied.

“A catalyst and accelerator effect”

“The goal of all these measures is to ensure that the event does not become a cluster but an opportunity to test as many people as possible and encourage vaccination”, explains Professor Yap Boum, regional representative of Epicenter, the Research and Epidemiology branch of Médecins sans frontières (MSF). “In a country where the vaccination rate was 6.7% [nombre de personnes éligibles ayant reçu une dose], the competition will have an obvious catalyst and accelerator effect ”, he adds.

“The vaccine has always been available to Cameroonians. But since the start of the competition, there has been a very significant enthusiasm, confirms Doctor Yann Emmanuel Ntsobe Njoh Bolo Bolo, head of the Yaoundé international vaccination center. A few weeks ago, we were doing between 120 and 150 doses per day. Last weekend, before the Indomitable Lions’ first game [qui s’est soldé par une victoire 2-1 face au Burkina Faso], we were at 2,500 injections. Whereas, until then, the acceptability of the vaccine was a problem, particularly because of fake news. “

If the CAN seems to have an impact on the vaccination campaign in Yaoundé, where all the matches of the Cameroonian selection are played, it is not the same everywhere. Outside the capital, after almost a week of competition, we see that there are very few spectators in the stands, some matches even taking place in almost empty enclosures.

Can the reluctance that persists in the face of the vaccine explain this lack of atmosphere in the stadiums of Cameroon, a country where football is nevertheless part of everyday life? It is common to hear Cameroonians worry that the injected product makes “Sterile” or that he “Was made to kill Africans”.

“They choose Johnson & Johnson”

With nearly 110,000 cases of contamination and 1,850 deaths since the start of the pandemic, Cameroon is one of the countries in the sub-region most affected by Covid-19, “Even if it only has a small number of severe cases and deaths”, recognizes Yap Boom.

At the Yaoundé international vaccination center, candidates must be registered by the head of the office, Véronique Sanda. The latter offers several types of vaccines. “In 70 or 80% of cases, they choose Johnson & Johnson, because it only requires one dose… Here, the attendance started to increase almost two weeks before the start of the competition, she explains. Each time, I say to the young people: “You, are you coming to take the CAN vaccine?” It helps them relax a bit because, sometimes, they are stressed because of the nonsense they see on social networks. “

But it is not only football that encourages Cameroonians in Yaoundé to be vaccinated. Yannick, 26, will soon travel to Italy and “The vaccine is essential to get on the plane”. Donald, 21, is due to attend in a few days “At a very important working meeting for which all participants must have received their injection”. As for Joséphine, 22, she is here today because she wants to surrender “At a religious ceremony for which the vaccine is compulsory”.

While false certificates are now easily accessible, will CAN’s incentives have a real impact on the vaccination rate across Cameroon? Some, like Véronique Saada, want to believe it: “People see that their parents, neighbors or friends who have been vaccinated have not had any problems. Suddenly, they come to see us more ”, she emphasizes.

Jérôme, who has just been bitten, is suggested to take paracetamol in the evening in case of headaches. “It’s quick and it doesn’t hurt, assures the young supporter. Now I can go cheer on my team: go Lions! “