Health Director unhappy about public’s unwillingness to take COVID-19 vaccine

Dr Prince Quarshie, the Deputy Director, Public Health at the Bono Regional Directorate of Ghana Health Service, (GHS) on Thursday expressed worry about the people’s unwillingness to be vaccinated, though the region has received enough COVID-19 vaccines.

He said although the region had not recorded new infections in the last two weeks, it was prudent for the masses to take the vaccination, saying building immunity against the viral disease remained the surest way to protect oneself from contracting the disease.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani, Dr Quarshie said the current region’s case count stood at 2,122, without any active case in homes or health facilities, adding the COVID-19 pandemic had killed 89 people in the region so far.

He regretted that only 20 per cent of the more than 700,000 targeted population had taken a single dose of the vaccine, while 2.4 per cent had finished taking their course.

Dr Quarshie expressed concern about people’s disregard of the COVID-19 health safety protocols in the region and reminded the public of the need for them to continue washing their hands with soap under running water, use alcohol-based hand sanitisers, wear nose masks and observe social distancing in public places.

He urged the public to disregard the unfounded theories and myths surrounding the COVID-19 vaccines and be available for the vaccination to protect themselves and those around them.

“We have received doses of the AstraZeneca, as well as the Johnson and Johnson and Modena vaccines and we are pleading with the people in the region to come for the vaccination to prevent the possible spread of the disease,” Dr Quarshie stated.

Source: GNA