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Health News for Sunday February 28, 2021
Source: GNA
2021-02-28
COVID-19 vaccine recently arrived in the country
Dr Kwame Amponsa-Achiano, program director, Expanded Program on Immunization, Ghana Health Service, says the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine deployed to protect Ghanaians from the virus does not cause impotence.
He said it would also be free for everyone and therefore called on the public to ignore the myths surrounding the cost of the vaccine as well as the misperception that it causes impotence in men and infertility in men. women.
He made this clarification during a seminar organized in Accra by the Association of Nurses and Midwives of Ghana (GRNMA) on Friday, on the topic “Deployment of the COVID vaccine in Ghana: the role of the nurse and of The wise woman”.
Dr Amponsa-Achiano said the vaccine has been well reviewed by the Food and Drugs Authority and the Ghana Health Service and is completely harmless. He said the vaccine, among other benefits, would help reduce illnesses and deaths from COVID-19, improve mental and psychosocial well-being for all and facilitate harmonious relations between Ghana and the world.
Speaking about the country’s choice of vaccine among many, the program manager said AstraZeneca was safe, had efficacy and potential efficacy training, was easy to store, feasible, available and had approval. regulatory.
On numerous events in which the vaccine had been tested, he said that the side effects recorded were the usual mild effects of vaccines such as increased temperature, fatigue, muscle and joint pain and headaches. .
However, he said they lasted only a short time and the beneficiaries recovered.
Dr Amponsa-Achiano said the national COVID-19 vaccination exercise that will begin on March 2, 2021, with 600,000 vaccines, will start with those most at risk until the country purchases at least 20 million to cover a significant percentage of the entire population. .
Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, Director General of Ghana Health Service, said 3,556 health workers, including; Nurses and midwives had contracted COVID-19, 14 of whom lost their lives.
He said it was therefore important that health workers including; Nurses and midwives have warmly embraced the vaccine to reduce hospitalizations, serious illness, death and transmission.
He explained that there were three approaches to vaccine deployment, based on those most at risk.
These were health workers, essential service providers and branches of government, as well as vulnerable people and the public, especially areas sensitive to COVID-19.
However, Dr Kuma-Aboagye said segmenting those most at risk was not a priority and anyone who required the necessary attention would be prioritized.
He advised health workers to be worthy advocates of the good virtues of the vaccine to debunk the myths and misconceptions surrounding it.
“If you think someone made this vaccine to kill you, that same person made cars and food that you can import or buy, so if you die, who will buy them,” he said. .
Ms Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo, president of GRNMA, said about 800 GRNMA members contracted the second wave of COVID-19 and some were in treatment or in isolation while others had been released.
She said health workers knew the vaccine rollout in the country was not new, therefore it was sometimes disturbing to hear people especially health workers say they weren’t ready. to receive vaccines.
She urged the government to step up efforts to get more vaccines for the majority or all of the population.
Ms Ofori-Ampofo urged the government to ensure that pharmaceutical companies do not acquire a monopoly on preventive and therapeutic drugs related to COVID-19 in the near future.
“GRNMA supports the vaccination program and I urge all nurses and midwives to afford to be vaccinated when the time comes,” she advised.
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