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12.01.2021 Health

COVID-19 vaccines safe but more education needed to clear doubts – GMA

COVID-19 vaccines safe but more education needed to clear doubts – GMA
12.01.2021 LISTEN

Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has allayed fears of Ghanaians over the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines.

President Akufo-Addo in his 20th address to the nation on the management of the COVID-19 pandemic said Ghana won't be left out in accessing approved vaccines.

Despite the good news, some Ghanaians are worried about the safety and efficacy of the newly-developed vaccines largely due to some conspiracy theories.

Public education needed

In an interview on the Citi Breakfast Show, the President of the Ghana Medical Association, Dr. Frank Ankobea called for public education on the need to be vaccinated against the disease.

“As a country, we tend to wait for things to get out of hand before we take responsibility. The vaccine education must start now. I know people are sceptical but we the scientists know that the vaccines are safe and that is probably what will help us in the long term. We need to start vaccine education right away. Some of us will be ready to take the vaccines to set the pace.”

“We should not wait for the vaccines to come in before we start the education. We must begin now, otherwise, we will receive the vaccines alright, but people will not go in for them. We will only achieve head immunity when we vaccinate at least 70% of our adult population. We are not going to get the vaccines as quickly as is projected. They are expensive. But for now, we need to channel our energies to renewing the minds of the masses,” Dr. Ankobea noted.

The country's active case counts as of Monday, January 11, 2021, was 1,261.

The death toll also rose to 338.

---citinewsroom

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