Director of Public Health at the Ghana Health Service, Dr Franklin Asiedu Bekoe has stated that there have been no records of adverse side effects of the use of vaccines in the country.

Speaking on Tuesday, December 14, 2021, during the Super Morning Show, Dr Asiedu Bekoe acknowledged that though the vaccines may have side effects on some individuals, there is no record in that regard from the over 6million doses administered so far.

The comment was in response to a concern raised by a caller on the show following Pfizer's release of a list containing some side effects of the Covid-19 vaccines. The caller was of the view that there was no need to "force" the vaccines on the citizenry since they come with some side effects.

In response to this, Dr Asiedu Bekoe justified the mandatory vaccination policy, insisting that the health of the public overrides that of individual personal choices.

"We're titrating the benefits against the risks and the risks are far less compared to the benefits of getting the population vaccinated and I think that should be the direction," he said.

This comes on the back of the Service’s announcement that effective December 14, 2021, all travelers leaving and entering the country must provide proof of full vaccination.

The Service added that “all unvaccinated Ghanaians and residents who are currently outside the country and intend to return within 14 days from the midnight of the said date, are exempted,” however, this group, will be vaccinated on arrival at the airport.

The Director-General of the GHS, Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, who announced the modifications at the airport, also announced on Sunday, December 12, 2021, that effective January, 2022, the government will institute a mandatory vaccination policy targeted at certain groups including all public sector and health workers.

These are all part of measures to complement the government’s efforts at ensuring that the virus is kept under control and the pandemic has the minimum impact on the citizenry.