Vaccine hesitancy in the Eastern Region.
The Eastern Regional Health Directorate in the municipality has announced that they have taken delivery of another batch of Covid-19 vaccines despite resident's hesitancy.
Abena Takyiwaa 
Residents in the New Juaben South municipality are reluctant in accepting the COVID 19 vaccine. This reluctancy was revealed in a research conducted by the Centre for Plant Medicine Research in Mampong-Akuapem (CPMR). It was observed that out of 64.6% of the respondents sampled, 33.2% believed the vaccines were developed to harm people while 34.1% were uncertain.
The study also revealed that out of 683 respondents sampled 35.4% of respondents believed the vaccines were made to curb the infections and 15% had very little or no knowledge of the COVID-19 vaccines.
The Eastern Regional Health Directorate in the municipality has announced that they have taken delivery of another batch of Covid-19 vaccines despite resident's hesitancy.
They are however informing the general public and all eligible persons who took the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine -Astrazeneca in September 2021 to visit the vaccination post for the 2nd dose. Alfred Adomako Yeboah, Municipal Health Promotion Officer New Juaben South said this in a statement issued on Tuesday, November 23, 2021.
Despite the availability of vaccines people are still refusing to patronize. The study further indicated that 30.6% of the respondents said they would not take the vaccine and 27.5% were undecided if allowed to vaccinate.
“Again, 46% of the respondents either believed the COVID-19 vaccine will not offer the desired protection while 18.7% and another 27.2% were not sure,” Dr Kofi Donkor, the principal zoom investigator of the study revealed
The statement also said “all eligible persons who have not yet taken their 1st dose of any of vaccine should visit the vaccination post for the shot.
Ghana was the first country in the world to receive vaccines through COVAX in late February. The country has since received many vaccines. However, the high rate of vaccine hesitancy among the populace is affecting government’s plan to vaccinate the projected 20 million Ghanaians to achieve herd immunity.
William Ofori Akwaboa, Eastern Regional Correspondent
