Hohoe (V/R)-Ghana, Nov. 03, GNA – The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) says it is embarking on public sensitiation on Covid-19 vaccines to help more people in the Hohoe area to accept the vaccines.
Mrs. Rhoda Ewurabena Appiah, Head of Communication and Public Education, says findings showed that most people in the municipality were reluctant to take the various Covid-19 vaccines.
Mrs. Appiah in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Hohoe said the unwillingness of people to take the vaccines in the municipality had led to the destruction of many vaccines because they were not administered.
She said some people had negative beliefs and fears about the Covid-19 vaccines.
Mrs. Appiah said the FDA together with the Ghana Health Service (GHS) partners were stepping in to allay fears and assure the public that the vaccines were safe and harmless to their health and body.
She said they noted that other vaccines administered such as polio vaccines were accepted, and it was important that Covid-19 was also accepted.
Mrs. Appiah said it was expected that the sensitisation would be accepted and result in an acceptable behaviour towards the Covid-19 vaccines and future vaccines as well.
Mr. Gorden Akurugu, Volta/Oti Regional Director, FDA, said it realised the Volta region recorded the lowest patronage and acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccines from the nationwide statistics.
He said it was important that the FDA ensured communities and health professionals were educated to support the next move of deployment of vaccines into the various districts.
Mr. Akurugu said food consumers must also be cautious of what they eat and the goods they buy during this time when Christmas is approaching.
“This time, people will come in with buy one get one free, which might be expiry. People will also bring unregistered, counterfeit, and substandard products into the country.
We want to caution people to be careful at this point and when they see something they do not understand, they should quickly call the FDA.”
The US Centre for Disease Control under the Global taskforce on Health supported the sensitisation that took the team to Churches and Mosques in the Municipality.