Asantehene and wife take COVID-19 vaccine

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and his wife, Lady Julia, took the COVID 19 vaccine publicly on Tuesday at the Manhyia Palace to bolster public confidence and encourage all to participate in the inoculation exercise.

The Asantehene did not make any statement after the exercise but was heard telling the nurse, Lydia Owusu Ansah, a public health nurse at the regional health directorate: "have you finished. But this is not painful at all," he said.

His jab was to officially commence the inoculation exercise in the Ashanti Region where 150,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccines are to be given out.

Clad in an all-white cloth to signify "Ekradware da" (cleansing of the soul), Otumfuo Osei Tutu II was gleeful all through the short ceremony as the Mamponghene, Nana Osei Bonsu
and the Mamponghemaa, Agyakoma Difia, joined him in the exercise.

GMA

Earlier, the president of the Ghana Medical Association, Dr Frank Ankobea, cautioned that the vaccine was not a replacement for the observation of the COVID-19 protocols.

He said much as the vaccines were safe, they were not full proof of preventing the spread of the virus.

The GMA president urged Ghanaians to continue with the regular washing of hands under running water with soap, sanitize their hands and observe social distancing to help stop the spread of the virus.