Ignore false claims about the covid-19 vaccine

Fund Administrator, COVID-19 National Trust Fund, Dr Williams Collins Asare has advised Ghanaians to ignore the false claims against the potency of the COVID-19 vaccines.

He assured that the vaccines were safe and being used in other countries and encouraged the public to make themselves available for the vaccination exercise, scheduled to start this week.

He revealed that the United Kingdom and the United States of America were reported to have experienced a reduction in the number of cases when they started vaccinating their citizens.

Mr Asare was speaking at the climax of the first phase of a nationwide COVID-19 awareness campaign at the Art Centre in Accra.

It was organised by the Centre for National Culture under the auspices of the National Commission on Culture, and partnered by Rescue Volunteers. He said to curb the spread, the Fund would continue to empower its partners to intensify education and sensitisation in the communities and called for support from all.

The second phase of the educational campaign would also focus on debunking the myths and fallacies surrounding the covid-19 mass vaccination programme.

Additionally, Mr Asare said the exponential rise in the COVID-19 cases in Ghana presented a challenge to all and urged the citizenry to keep to the protocols.

Madam Janet Edna Nyame, the Executive Director, National Commission on Culture, said the programme covered 33 selected communities in six regions.

She said the team adopted drama, dance, puppetry and poetry, which had proven to be effective methods of public education and sensitisation, throughout the campaign.

Madam Nyame said the vaccines were not different from those used to prevent infections like poliomyelitis and measles and encouraged all to partake in the vaccination.

Mrs Alice Alima Kala, the Director, Centre for National Culture, said the first phase of the campaign was held in some major markets in the capital including the Makola, Dodowa, and Kpone-Katamanso markets and climaxed at the Art Centre.

Ms Lydia Tsotsoo Odai-Tettey, Country Coordinator, Rescue Volunteers, said the team donated 150 branded T-Shirts, 2,000 pieces of nose masks and 450 bottles of hand sanitizers to assist participants and the traders to keep safe of the virus.

She emphasised the need for social distancing in markets and crowded areas.

Madam Mercy Naa Afrowa Needjan, the President, Greater Accra Markets Association, urged traders not to remove their masks when attending to customers, while adhering to all the protocols