Photos: Akufo-Addo, others take COVID-19 vaccine

President Akufo-Addo together with First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo today received the first dose of the 600,000 Covid-19 vaccines that arrived in the country last Wednesday.

The exercise, which included a similar one by Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and wife, Samira Bawumia was aimed at boosting public confidence in the new vaccine procured for the citizens.

While the President took his vaccine jab at the 37 Military Hospital, the Vice President Dr. Bawumia was vaccinated at the Police Hospital.

President Akufo-Addo before taking his jab said, “I decided to take it [the vaccine] publicly to clear all doubts and urge everyone to also accept the vaccine.”

“It’s important to state that this vaccine is safe by being the first to have it. So everybody in Ghana should feel comfortable about taking the vaccine. It is important that everybody at the end of the day is vaccinated. That is our objective,” he added.

He thanked the COVAX Facility for giving Ghana 600,000 doses of the vaccine.

Dr. Bawumia on his side said, “We are taking the vaccine today to assure the public and Ghanaians in general that it is safe to take to be immune to the virus.”

“I and the second lady are here this morning to take vaccination for the COVID-19. His Excellency the President took the lead and under his leadership and with the support of our partners, Ghana became the first country in the world to benefit from the COVAX facility which is open for about 92 low and middle-income countries and Ghana is the first country to have benefited from it, and it is under the leadership of the president and the hard work of the Ghana Health Service staff and members of the taskforce that the president has put in place that Ghana has been able to achieve.”

He thus allayed the fear of Ghanaians with an assurance the vaccine is safe.

“We are taking the vaccine today to assure the public and Ghanaians in general that it is safe to take to be immuned to the virus.”