Freelance journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni has revealed that he won’t be taking the Covid-19 vaccine today at the Ghana International Press Centre even though he was officially invited to take part in the exercise.
According to him, he believes that the limited doses available now should be given to people who have underlying health conditions that make them more susceptible to the vagaries of Covid-19.
He said this on Facebook Tuesday 2nd March 2021.
Below is how he captured it:
Last night, I received an invitation from an executive of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) to come for the Covid-19 vaccination today at the Ghana International Press Centre.
I asked further questions and I was told that 800 doses of the vaccine provided to Ghana through the Covax initiative have been allocated to journalists.
I was excited about the opportunity. I have never bought into the wild conspiracy theories. I have been looking forward to the opportunity to get vaccinated. And here was one!
On second thought, however, I decided to decline the invitation so I communicated it to the GJA executive and gave my reason.
I’m relatively young and do not have any known underlying health condition. I know many active or retired journalists are old. I also know journalists who are young but have underlying health conditions that make them more susceptible to the vagaries of Covid-19.
With the limited doses available, I don’t think it is right to go and get the jab while those who need it more than I may not have the opportunity.
Ghana has a population of about 30 million. We took delivery of 600,000 doses from the Covax arrangement. And if each person is to get two doses of the vaccine, then it means we will cover 300,000 people. (I stand to be corrected).
I’m eager to get this vaccine to protect myself, my family, and those I come into contact with. But I know there are many people out there–in this case, many journalists–who need it more than I. I’ll wait.”
