Some residents of Bolgatanga Municipality in the Upper East Region have expressed their concerns regarding the safety of the vaccines although some are in support of its procurement to fight the spread of the coronavirus disease.

Some said they were afraid the vaccines may not be credible and could even worsen their plight and cause other health complications.

When the Ghana News Agency interacted with some members of the public, they explained that they were not sure of how the virus started and did not believe that the vaccine would be a safe solution to the pandemic.

While some expressed readiness to avail themselves to be vaccinated despite their reservations, others were of the view that if it were not mandatory they would not get themselves vaccinated stating that they could not trust the efficacy of the vaccine.

Mr Foster Amabla, a Resident and a Trader in Bolgatanga said the only thing that would convince him to get vaccinated would be when it was administered to people in authority first and no side effects recorded.

Mr Amabla believed that the pandemic was a “biological weapon designed by some people and aimed at reducing human population through the vaccine they have produced, so I will not even care to get vaccinated”.

Ms Florence Danquah, another Resident said she was expecting Ghanaian researchers to find an antidote to the deadly disease instead of relying on other people.

She urged Ghanaians and African scientists to collaborate their efforts to find credible vaccine and treatment for the virus as that would enable people to trust its efficacy and fully participate in the vaccination processes and appreciate it.

Mr Eric Aduko, a student, expressed the fear that some of the vaccines may be contaminated with virus and would rather infect more people and therefore called for strict adherence to the recommended safety protocols while government invested in finding a trustworthy vaccine.

Mr Mohammed Abdullah, a Resident and a Fashion designer, advocated that government equip health facilities with resources and logistics to undertake COVID-19 mass testing to ascertain the status of each citizenry.

This, he noted, would enable stakeholders especially the frontline health workers to identify and prioritize those who need the vaccine most.

Mrs Martha Nsoh noted that people were not privy to the impending vaccination and therefore called on the authorities responsible for sensitizing the public, to intensify education on the reality of the spread of COVID-19 and its potential for people to appreciate the reality and participate fully.