Dr. Omane Boamah, who served under John Mahama as Minister for Communication, has cautioned the public against the desire to chase after COVID-19 vaccines, to the relaxation of the safety protocols.
He said that while news that successful vaccines for the pandemic have been made around the world, with Ghana already expecting some in the country, it should not steer people off the need to adhere to the protocols against the coronavirus.
Dr. Boamah explained that what will give Ghana the surest immunity against the virus now is the continuous and strict adherence to the safety protocols, which, recently, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had cause to remind the country not to relax after cases saw an unusual rise, coming into the New Year.
He made this known in a Facebook post, stressing that those banking their hopes on vaccination could just be sorely disappointed since it is limited, and the vaccines may not be as available in Africa, and more so, for Ghana.
The medical practitioner added that not even a third of the country’s population is certain to get the vaccines when they arrive in the country, hence his advice.
“The best vaccine against COVID-19 for everybody living everywhere, for now, is staying safe and observing the protocols as prescribed by WHO and government,” he indicated.
He, however, stated that his advice is not to downplay the relevance of vaccines for such a pandemic but only a reminder to the government not to forget the intensification of the adherence to the protocols over the expectations for a vaccine soon.
“Government of Ghana needs to outdoor its vaccine plan alongside an intense advocacy to ensure adherence to safety protocols…this is why I say our best vaccine is washing our hands regularly with soap under running water, wearing face masks, using sanitisers and social distancing,” he noted.
Read his full post sighted by GhanaWeb below:
Dr. Omane Boamah is a former Communications Minister