The COVID-19 vaccines have been scientifically proven to be safe, and the vaccination card is not a mark of “666”, the mark of the beast and sign of the end times, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) said on Sunday.
Some people hold the perception that the card represents the ‘666 mark of the beast’ a sign of the end times and a symbol of alignment with the Antichrist.
Social media is replete with such information, citing the uncertainty of long-term side effects, lack of trust in the medical field, and racial misconceptions.
These misconceptions, Dr Kwabena Sarpong, the Deputy Central Regional Director in charge of Public Health, has described as calculated falsehoods.
He said the mark of the beast, as stated in the Book of Revelations, would only happen after the Rapture, indicating that the ‘666’ rumour was not true.
Addressing the press in Cape Coast, he debunked news circulating that the vaccine caused erectile problems, barrenness, and stroke among others.
Dr Sarpong encouraged the people who had been fully vaccinated to tell their stories to dispel those rumours and complement the government’s efforts at eradicating the disease.
He said they should continue observing the protocols by properly wearing nose masks, adhering to hand and respiratory hygiene and social distancing to help protect vulnerable populations.
“The vaccine is safe, those negative things are put there just to create fear and panic among the populace,” he added.
The region currently has no active case, Dr Sarpong said, but recorded 4,907 cases out of which 98 per cent had recovered.
“Unfortunately, we have recorded some deaths as well and at the last count, our total death stood at 31 and this excludes other deaths that came in that we are yet to validate…”