Ghanaians urged to ignore conspiracy theories about coronavirus vaccine

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has called on Ghanaians to ignore conspiracy theories about the COVID-19 Vaccine and prepare for the nationwide vaccination exercise.

Dr Kofi Amo-Kodieh, the Bono Regional Director of the GHS, who made the call, said the AstraZeneca vaccine had gone through various stages of vaccine manufacturing and had proven efficacious to build body immunity against the COVID-19.

Addressing a news conference in Sunyani, Dr Amo-Kodieh called on the media to intensify public education to help dispel the wrong perception of people about the vaccine.

He said the regional Health Directorate would meet religious bodies and traditional authorities in the region to find ways of tackling the myths and conspiracy theories about the vaccine before the start of the exercise.

Dr Amo-Kodieh warned that people who failed to turn up for the vaccination would expose themselves to the COVID-19 because of the sharp rise in cases being recorded in the region.

He said the region had recorded 1,095 active cases with 27 deaths as of Wednesday, March 3, 2021, and advised the public to adhere to the prescribed health safety protocols to protect themselves.

Dr Emmanuel Ekow Otoo, the Deputy Director of Public Health at the Bono Regional Directorate of Health, said between 50 to 60 per cent of the regional population was expected to be vaccinated.

He said children below 18 years and pregnant women were exempted from the vaccination exercise, and expressed the hope that the media would contribute towards making the campaign successful.