The Ghana Medical Association has dispersed assertions that the Covid-19 vaccines create fertility problems.

Speaking on the Super Morning Show, on Tuesday, December 14, 2021, the General Secretary for the Association, Dr. Justice Yankson noted that such claims are all part of conspiracy theories to discredit the vaccines, hence, the need to disregard them.

The comment was in response to a concern raised by a caller on the show over possible effect of the vaccines on pregnant women. She was particularly concerned about whether the vaccine could pose any harm to the health of the mother and the unborn child.

Dr. Yankson clarified that "the literature so far, does not point to anything that says that if you take the vaccine and you're not a pregnant woman, it is going to create fertility problems for you.

"These are all part of the conspiracy theories that have been bandied around. It started off with men will become impotent, infertile if they should take the vaccines. But as it stands, nothing of that sort has been identified. So clearly that infertility component is clearly something that there's no scientific basis for all of us now."

"In our situation, that exemption (with regards to pregnant women not being vaccinated) still holds. This is because the foetus is very important to all of us, and we don't want to end up having issues. The mother's health is important but in the process, because mothers are dying and they are losing their foetus as well, countries like the UK are revising their notes (such that pregnant women are now being vaccinated)," he added.

He noted, however, that the Ghana Health Service will revise its directives if any changes come up.

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, 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 government's efforts at ensuring that the virus is kept under control and the pandemic has the minimum impact on the citizenry.