Dr. Nana Ayew Afriyie addressing the media
MEMBERS OF Parliament (MPs) on the Select Committee of Health have expressed worry about the low rates of COVID-19 vaccinations in some regions of the country, calling for a plan to ramp up efforts to immunise the population in the rural districts.
Chairman of the Committee, Dr. Nana Ayew Afriyie, flanked by his Ranking Member and other members, told the media in Parliament yesterday that there was a possibility for a new wave of coronavirus infections.
According to him, the data available to the committee indicated that the Ashanti, Eastern, Western North, Oti and Volta regions have high population rates of unvaccinated adults in the face of expected increase, which calls for urgent actions to prevent a major surge in COVID-19 cases in the country.
He said with relatively few cases of COVID-19 in the country coupled with superstitions, many Ghanaians in rural communities do not feel overly concerned by the pandemic and have not felt compelled to get immunised.
“We stand together as a committee to whip up patronage for the vaccination for COVID-19, given that about 18 million have been vaccinated,” he said at the press briefing.
Dr. Afriyie continued, “We have the capacity to vaccinate over 22 million. What happens is if there is any strike of COVID wave, all those who have been vaccinated for third and fourth times would be covered.”
“Unfortunately, if there is a wave, it will engulf those in the rural areas who through superstition and several other reasons, are not vaccinating. These are the most vulnerable in society,” he posited.
He explained that it was on this scale that the Health Committee was announcing to the media its campaign in the various regions for the citizens, who have not yet vaccinated, to get it.
He appealed to the media to use their network to reach the entire public.
The Ranking Member, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, said COVID-19 had come to stay, and that “for the health of this country, we must all play a role.”
“The data available to us indicates that the vaccination rates in some of the regions are very low. And unfortunately, this is happening in the rural districts where we have very weak health infrastructure and system,” he stressed.
“If we are not very careful and these places are hit by another wave of COVID-19, it will be a disaster. And therefore, we are encouraging everybody who has not been vaccinated to do so immediately,” Mr. Akandoh stated.
“There has been this conspiracy theory about the side effects of the vaccines and we members of the committee have all been vaccinated. Most of the things people are saying about vaccination are not true. We must all be onboard to educate the people to vaccinate,” he entreated.
BY Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House