Government has rejected claims that public sensitisation on the COVID-19 vaccines have delayed despite genuine concerns.
The Presidential Advisor on Health, Dr. Anthony Nsiah-Asare says a sensitisation team has been launched and will be dispatched this week along with the vaccination exercise.
In a Citi News interview, Dr. Nsiah-Asare maintained that the timing of the sensitisation is still appropriate.
“It is better late than never. There are some things if you start too early, people will tend to forget so even if you start it now, whilst it is the minds of people, it is better than not doing anything at all.”
He expects the media, clergy and other religious leaders to support sensitisation efforts.
“We want church leaders, we want Muslim leaders, we want civil society to join this education and tell the people,” Dr. Nsiah-Asare said.
“That is the reason why the President is the first person to be vaccinated followed by the Vice President and then all the other leaders to show Ghanaians that the vaccines are safe.”
President Akufo-Addo and his Vice President Bawumia be the first persons to benefit from the 600,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine Ghana procured with the help of COVAX.
They will take the jab in public alongside their spouses.
On further sensitisation, a manual containing additional information on the coronavirus vaccination in Ghana is being developed by the Information Ministry to intensify public education in the coming days, according to the former deputy Health Minister, Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye.
To dispel scepticism about the vaccines, the government has said there will be sustained public sensitisation campaigns by the Local Government Service, Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service, National Commission for Civic Education and Information Services Department to educate the public on the vaccination rollout.
