President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will today receive the first dose of the COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccine at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra, alongside his wife Rebecca Akufo-Addo.

The event will be telecast live on TV to show Ghanaians that it is safe to take.

President Akufo-Addo is doing this to boost public confidence in the safety and efficacy of the AstraZeneca vaccine that has been approved for use to slow the spread of the virus in Ghana.

Announcing this during his 24th televised Coronavirus address to the nation on Sunday, February 28, Akufo-Addo said, “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 health facilities in Accra.”

He further announced that on Tuesday, March 2, 2021, other key public officials including the Speaker and Members of Parliament, the Chief Justice and Justices of the Superior Courts of Judicature, the Chairperson and Members of the Council of State, the Chief of Staff and senior officials at the Office of the President will take the jab publicly.

The rest are prominent personalities such as some Eminent Clergy, the National Chief Imam, the Asantehene, the Ga Mantse, and some media practitioners.

He subsequently called for an all-hands-on-deck approach for a successful vaccination programme saying, “I encourage faith-based groups, civil society, media and all Ghanaians to support the public education campaign associated with the exercise.”

"Our domestic regulatory agency FDA (Food and Drugs Authority),” the President said, “has certified the safe use of the vaccine.

“Taking the vaccine will not alter your DNA; it will not embed a tracking device in your body,” the President further assured. “Neither will it cause infertility in women or men. As your president, I want to assure you that the vaccine is safe."