The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in the Eastern Region is embarking on an intensive drive to ensure every citizen partakes in the ongoing Covid-19 vaccination exercise.

The strategies being employed by the Commission’s officers include; Radio programmes, broadcasts at Information centres, engagements with market women, drivers, artisans, and meetings with churches and Muslims as well as the use of information vans, and door-to-door engagements.

Speaking in an interview, NCCE Eastern Regional Director, Mr Alex Sackey said as part of the drive, a stakeholders meeting has been held in Koforidua.

He said basic information concerning the Covid-19 virus, history and benefits of vaccines, vaccines approved for use, and adverse effects following vaccination, were some of the issues discussed.

Touching on the need for the vaccination, he reiterated the point that vaccination had always been used as an effective means to address many medical situations for over two hundred years since the days of the smallpox vaccine.

Covid-19 has killed thousands of lives worldwide and all means necessary ought to be used to reduce its effects or even eliminate it, he added.

Mr Sackey noted the AstraZeneca vaccine was what was being administered and that other vaccine would be coming on stream soon.

He encouraged all to go for the vaccination as soon as possible, adding that the government was targeting a minimum of 80 per cent of the population except pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children.

He stated that Ghana not being an exception to the dire effects of the pandemic has had its education sector affected and rendered many jobless.

Even though the vaccine would reduce the effect of COVID-19, he advised that people must continue to observe Covid-19 protocols like the wearing of nose masks, washing of hands with soap under running water and use of hand sanitizers.

He dispelled the rumours making rounds that the vaccine was being used to decimate the black race, stressing that, those rumours had no basis.

Mr Sackey advised stakeholders to seek valid information from health experts instead of misinformation making the rounds about “mark of the beast and all kinds of things."

He said the vaccine could have some minor adverse effects, but they were normally short-lived and not dangerous to one's health and urged the public to take the vaccine.