The Krachi East Municipal Office of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has taken the COVID-19 vaccination education closer to the people in the Municipality.

Using information vans, the office had commenced a series of dawn and dusk broadcasts at market centres and principal streets to demystify mysteries surrounding the vaccination.

Mr Clement Kwesi Tettey Mamadu, the Krachi East Municipal Director of NCCE, told the Ghana News Agency that the Commission had packaged “accurate and evidence-based” information on the COVID-19 vaccination, in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service, to provide people with the facts that would help end the wild rumours.

He said vaccines remained one of the most effective public health interventions adding: “The COVID-19 vaccines, which have been approved for emergency use around the world is very safe.”

“The world’s population will be protected against the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 after getting vaccinated in addition to wearing nose masks, hand sanitizing, handwashing with soap under running water, and observing social distancing,” he said.

Mr Mamadu said people with a history of specific allergies must consult health practitioners before taking the vaccine, while children under 18 years and pregnant women were excluded.

Currently, health workers are being inoculated in the first phase of the vaccination within the Municipality, to be followed by other front liners and public servants.

Superintendent Samuel Aboagye, Krachi East Municipal Police Commander, entreated stakeholders and citizens to obey the safety protocols to ensure their safety and avoid being prosecuted.

Madam Sahadatu Salifu, the Krachi East Programmes Officer of the NCCE, said the Commission started the sensitization on COVID-19 protocols and laws on their enforcement in churches, mosques, schools, markets, and shops before March, this year.

She said it also held engagements with the leaderships of the Local Council of Churches as well as dressmakers, hairdressers, and members of commercial motor riders associations to enlighten them on the need to observe the safety protocols.

Madam Salifu said COVID-19 affected different people in different ways and that most infected persons would develop mild to moderate illness and some may recover without hospitalisation.

She said the most common symptoms were fever, dry cough, and tiredness with the fewer common symptoms being aches and pains, sore throat, diarrhoea, conjunctivitis, headache, loss of taste or smell, a rash on the skin, or, discolouration of fingers or toes.

The Programmes Officer said others might observe the following serious symptoms as well: difficulty in breathing or shortness of breath, chest pain or pressure, and loss of speech or movement.

She entreated all to seek immediate medical attention at the closest health facility in the event of any such symptoms.