Commentary

April’s round-up; National Immunization Days against Covid-19

By Theresa Owusu Ako, a Journalist

As Covid-19 infections began to be reported around the world many countries responded by shutting down places like schools, workplaces and international airports. Ghana was no exception. However, Ghana’s airspace was reopened on September 1, 2020 as pertained to other countries. It was with much pressure that the land and sea borders were also opened with the government arguing that opening the borders will lead to importation of Covid-19 cases, Albeit true due to the porous nature of our borders. After two years of closure the country’s land and sea borders were reopened on March 28, 2022.

These include allowing fully vaccinated travelers to enter the country’s land and sea borders without a negative PCR test results from the countries of origin. Wearing of nose masks in public places is also no longer mandatory but frequent washing and sanitizing of hands still remains on the Covid agenda,but the question is, are people observing these? The loosening of pandemic measures has been welcomed as a step forward to boosting the economic recovery in the context of the growing global economic crisis. Ghanaians have been advised not to throw caution to the wind by being careless in this regard since the disease according to medical experts is still lurking around due to its mutation nature.

Ghana targeted to vaccinate 20 million of the population by 2021 however that target has not yet been achieved. The Ghana Health Service says half of the target has been met. It says Confirmed cases of Covid-19 are, one hundred and sixty-one thousand, one hundred and twenty-four, 1,445 deaths and 159,644 recoveries. To hasten the pace of meeting the target of 20 million,and catching the unvaccinated population National Immunization Days have been instituted to sustain the vaccination exercise until the country reaches an appreciable level of immunity to avert any future recurrence. This month’s five-day exercise ends Monday, April 25, 2022, though the vaccines are always available at health centers. During the National Immunization Days, officials go to public places to vaccinate for convenience. It is important for all unvaccinated people to take advantage of this, and the availability of the vaccines to get the jab. One key issue preventing people from taking the jab even at this time is due to negative speculations about the vaccine.

But one thing those buying into these rumors are forgetting is that they are in charge of their health and need to take responsibility for it. One’s immune system can never be the same as the other, not even twins therefore one should not allow another person to dictate the way one’s health should go. Though there is ease on Covid restriction, some people have dedicated themselves to the wearing of nose masks at least keeping those in that business moving. It behoves churches, mosques, entertainment centers, restaurants and many other public places to enforce hand washing and strict use of sanitizers.

A visit to some of these places leaves much to be desired. Sometimes there is no water even in the buckets, no soap or even tissue to use after washing one’s hands. Covid is not yet over until it is, as new variants are announced every now and then. Apart from Covid, we know of Omicron and the latest one being Deltacron. One hopes the campaign to get people to take the jab will receive serious attention in order to eliminate the covid disease in the world.