More education on side effects of COVID vaccine needed

The absence of information and clarity leads to speculations and suspicion and that is what is happening to many people who are feet-dragging over taking the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Enough education has been invested into the need to take the vaccine but rather very little has gone into telling the public in plain terms what the likely side effects of the vaccine could be.

There are persons who have gone to be vaccinated and suffered all manner of unexpected side effects. You are made to believe you could experience a mild degree of headache or nausea after the jab and that there is no need to panic when such headaches start.

But certainly, panic sets in when the degree of headache goes beyond what can be described as mild and suddenly includes insomnia, running stomachs, skin rashes, dyspepsia and all manner of unexpected ailments.

Such panics are avoidable if there had been enough education on the possible side effects.

If the public continues to observe that some persons who went in for the jab suffer the above and more symptoms, it creates an atmosphere of anxiety, suspicion and speculations.

The New Publisher, for instance, had reports of a nursing mother who went in for the vaccine and the next day, she could not breastfeed her baby because the breastmilk had changed colour and taste.

Expectedly, she panicked and became alarmed. The rest of her household members immediately lost interest in going for the vaccine.

Checks from the medical experts showed that as a nursing mother, she should have gone in for it. Why was she not told beforehand by the persons who vaccinated her? Why has this information not been expressly communicated to the general public?

In our opinion, it is not as though a majority of Ghanaians do not want to take the vaccine. Far from that. The challenge is that the persons reluctant to go for the vaccine are only in doubt of the unexpected.

People would normally have some fear for things they do not understand. People would normally be reluctant in accepting things they do not understand.

A very useful way of encouraging people to turn up to be vaccinated is by telling them what EXACTLY they are LIKELY to experience after taking the jab.

The absence of such clarity could affect the very important exercise ongoing.

We agree with the thoughts of Dr. Okoe Boye the former deputy minister for Health that it would be suicidal if one fails to take advantage of the opportunity now to vaccinate. However, we should not make it seem all the persons expressing misgivings about the vaccine are inspired by mischief.

Many of them are simply in need of education and further information. Their anxiety could be largely fueled by a feeling of uncertainty. An uncertainty that can be cleared if the experts having the information make some time to share with the general public.