Dr Frank Ankobea, President of the Ghana Medical Association

Start COVID-19 vaccine public education now - GMA to NCCE

Graphic.com.gh Jan - 12 - 2021 , 11:33 2 minutes read

The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) is proposing the start of a public sensitisation on COVID-19 vaccines even before the first consignment arrives in Ghana.

This, the GMA believes will help in public acceptance of the vaccines in Ghana when they arrive to help fight the coronavirus disease.

In a radio interview with Accra based Citi FM Tuesday, the President of the Ghana Medical Association, Dr Frank Ankobea charged the government to begin the education on the need for the vaccines now.

The positive cases of the disease in Ghana is gradually going up again after it went down in the latter part of 2020.

According to the GMA, the government should not wait till the vaccines arrive in Ghana before the public is educated on the need for it.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has already hinted that Ghana will procure the vaccines to help prevent the spread of the virus.

Speaking to Citi FM Tuesday morning [Jan 12, 2021], Dr Ankobea said the GMA is ready to partner with the the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) to educate the public on the need for the vaccines.

"Educate people on the vaccines now, I know people are skeptical, we know, we the scientists, we know that the vaccines are safe and that is probably what will help us in the long term and we need to disabuse the minds of people about the misinformation going round about the vaccine.
"I'm sure if we educate people on the vaccine, come that time it wouldn't be too difficult. Some of us will be ready to take the vaccine for people to see that we are taking it. All these must, we must not wait till the vaccine gets to this country, we must start the vaccine education now. NCCE, infact, GMA is going to link up with NCCE and then we will also start the vaccine education. We've done a lot of education on the COVID itself," Dr Ankobea said.