COVID-19: Vaccines are safe; won’t alter your DNA – Nana Addo assures Ghanaians
President Nana Akufo-Addo has allayed the genuine fears of Ghanaians ahead of the national vaccination programme against Coronavirus.
He says conspiracy theories that have been propounded about the vaccines must be ignored assuring that the vaccines are safe and will not have any adverse effect on the health of recipients.
“I know there are still some who continue to express doubts about the vaccine, others have expressed reservations about its efficacy, with some taking sides with conspiracy theorists who believe the vaccine has been created to wipe out the African race. This is far from the truth. As your President, I want to assure you that the vaccine is safe”, Akufo-Addo said on Sunday during his 24th COVID-19 update.
The President further discredited other viral false claims of post-vaccination saying, “taking the vaccine will not alter your DNA, it will not embed a tracking device in your body, neither will it cause infertility in women or in men”.
He argued that Ghana’s regulatory agency, the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), has certified the safe use of the vaccine.
“It will not do so if it had any reservations about the safety of the vaccine, and I have gone on record as saying that no vaccine will be deployed in the country for use without the express certification of the FDA,” he added.
The President was however quick to caution that the roll-out of the vaccination campaign does not create room to “let our guard down” and discard the adherence to the safety protocols.
“We cannot afford to let our guard down. Let us continue to wash our hands under running water, maintain social distancing, refrain from shaking hands and hugging, and, most importantly, wear our masks”, he advised.
Meanwhile, Akufo-Addo and his Vice, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia will on Monday, March 1, 2021, be the first to publicly receive shots of the newly arrived COVID-19 vaccines in Ghana.
The two leaders will take the jab together with their wives, Rebecca Akufo-Addo and Samira Bawumia respectively to boost public confidence in the safety and efficacy of the AstraZeneca vaccine that has been approved for use to slow the spread of the virus in Ghana.
He said the vaccination will take place at two separate health facilities for both families.
