An Immunologist and Research Fellow at the West Africa Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP) has rejected some international reports discouraging citizens from receiving more Covid-19 vaccine booster shots.

Dr Yaw Bediako, speaking on JoyNews' AM Show, stated that constant immunisation against the Covid-19 pandemic will take no toll on an individual's immune system.

According to him, organs and processes of the body that provide resistance to infection are always responding to challenges.

"I don't really buy into this idea that constant boosting has any real effect on your immune system. Our immune system is always responding to challenges.

"That is what it does. When you walk outside, when a mosquito bites you, you get a cold - those are all immune challenges. If our immune system got tired due to this exposure, we would all have serious issues.

From my immunological perspective, I really don't give much weight to these concerns or stories about exhausting your immune system as a result of constant immunization."

On the matter, the European Medicines Agency has said, more Covid-19 vaccine booster shots might not be the proper way forward for dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.

According to Bloomberg, European Union regulators said too many Covid-19 vaccine booster shots could affect our immune system, exposing us to even more sickness.

However, interacting with host Benjamin Akakpo, he noted that a Covid-19 vaccine booster exercise will have cost implications on the government as it would have to procure more vaccines to continue to vaccinate.

Dr Bediako advised that the way to avoid such cost is to "vaccinate many people as quickly as possible so that we can lower the incidence of the virus among our population."

"If people do not show up to get the vaccines, if we remain below 60 or 70 per cent vaccination, then there is the likelihood that we need to continue boosting. But if enough people have been vaccinated, then there is enough protection; herd immunity," he added.

Meanwhile, Dr Yaw Bediako says Ghanaians who received their second jab about 6 to seven months ago are to avail themselves to get boosted.

"You require a booster because, after about six to seven months, your antibodies drop, so you are more susceptible to getting infected.

There is a realization that six months after your last dose, the efficacy of the vaccine wanes drastically, and so there is the need to administer boosters," he said.

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has noted that it will soon start administering Covid-19 booster shots to stem the spread of the disease in the country.

The purpose of a Covid-19 booster shot is to give people an added level of protection from Covid-19 if their existing protection has waned over time.

Covid-19 statistics

Nearly 35% of the Ghanaian population representing 6,951,968 persons, have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, that’s according to the Ghana Health Service (GHS).

Addressing the press on Covid-19 policy updates on Wednesday, Director-General of the Service, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, said the number fully vaccinated is 3,229,995, representing 16.1% of the Ghanaian population.

He noted that 1,040,864 people have been vaccinated in January so far, while 2,966,925 people were vaccinated in December last year.