World Vision, a development and advocacy organisation has held a float to create awareness on COVID-19 vaccination.
The float was carried out in partnership with a German cooperation organisation, GIZ started from the Arts Centre in Accra ended at the Tuesday Market in Korle Gonno with a call on all to vaccinate and protect themselves from the COVID-19 virus.
The Health and Nutrition Technical Manager of World Vision Ghana, Ewurabena Kweiba Dadzie, said although a number of Ghanaians had vaccinated against the virus, the country had not met its target of vaccinating 20 million people by 2021.
That, she said, was of a great concern as the pandemic was still around and there was a need to safeguard citizens to prevent another lockdown.
"As it stands now, we have done 50 per cent for those who have taken the first shot. For those who have vaccinated fully, we have done just 36 per cent of the whole country and looking at that, the country is still at risk and has not reached head immunity," she said.
Misconceptions
Mrs Dadzie urged the public to do away with any misconceptions about the vaccine and embrace it so the country could meet its target.
"The only way we can fight the misconceptions is to create awareness through community education and that is what World Vision is seeking with this awareness creation,” she added.
The Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs Manager of World Vision Ghana, Samuel Gmalu, also added that the organisation had been at the forefront of the COVID-19 fight since its inception in the country, adding that their organisation was more focused on children.
“World Vision spent about $2 million in response to the COVID-19, we worked with the government, engaged with communities and now we have narrowed our awareness down to the intake of the vaccine,” he said.
He added that apart from the float, World Vision also educated religious leaders in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions on the need to get vaccinated and also do away with misconceptions.