- “Our domestic regulatory agency, FDA, one of the most reputable in Africa and in the world, 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."
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will today 1 March 2021 become the first person to receive the COVAX COVID-19 vaccine jab.
Last week, Ghana made history as the first country to take delivery of 600,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines through the United Nations-backed COVAX initiative.
In a televised address to the nation Sunday night, Akufo-Addo said he is showing leadership by being the first to go for the vaccine to prove its efficacy.
Trust the FDA
“Our domestic regulatory agency, FDA, one of the most reputable in Africa and in the world, 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 said.
“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,” the president said.
Vaccine is safe
“As your President, I want to assure you that the vaccine is safe. That is why tomorrow, on Monday, 1st March, ahead of the commencement of the vaccination programme on Tuesday, 2nd March, my wife the First Lady, the Vice President, his wife the Second Lady, and I will take the vaccine publicly at two (2) health facilities in Accra,” Akufo-Addo announced ahead of today’s inoculation ceremony at the 37 Military Hospital.
Ghana’s full vaccination programme kicks off 2 March and will be done in phases.
“The first segment of the population that will receive from the 600,000 doses will be health workers, adults 60 years and over, people with underlying health conditions, frontline executive, legislature, judiciary and their related staff, frontline security personnel, some religious leaders, essential workers, teachers and other personalities in Greater Accra Metro including Awutu Senya and Awutu Senya East in the Central Region. A similar segmented population in the Greater Kumasi Metro and Obuasi municipality will also be covered,” an initial statement from the Information Ministry said.
The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines were produced by the Serum Institute of India.
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