The call follows the recent announcement by the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyemang Manu, and published that the government will inspect COVID-19 cards beginning January 2022.
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Mandatory vaccination against the rights and freedom of Ghanaians - Human rights group
The Ghana Chapter of the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC), Geneva, Switzerland has condemned an attempt by the government to impose vaccination on Ghanaians.
Vaccination
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The Human rights group believes the action by the government to carry out such an exercise is against the people's rights and freedom and does not have any basis in the 1992 constitution and Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations.
"Vaccination should be by choice and not by force. Per the reports gathered so far from our international researchers, we think that it is advisable for the government to allow ordinary Ghanaians to decide rather than imposing it on them," it said in a statement copied to Pulse.com.gh.
It added: "We are aware of the efforts by the government in creating awareness on the COVID-19 since its emergence in 2019 but there has been little or no education about the composition and effects of the vaccines. We have received countless reports on the vaccines where most nations and people refuse to take the jab as a result of what others are going through after vaccination.
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COVID-19 vaccine.
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"There are instances where people who have received their jabs still get the virus. There are also instances of reported cases elsewhere where expired vaccines were given to people. There are reported cases of complications and even death.
"People are already scared about some of these reports and concrete evidence up there and we believe that it will be suicidal to force people using various schemes and machinations to accept the vaccines. This is against Article 14 1 (d) of the 1992 constitution which states that "every person shall be entitled to his personal liberty and no person shall be deprived of his personal liberty except the person is suffering from an infectious or contagious disease, a person of unsound mind, a person addicted to drugs or alcohol or a vagrant, for the purpose of his care or treatment or the protection of the community," it added.
It said the action of the government is also against Articles 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the United Nations Human Rights Declaration.
The group also called on the government to reconsider its decision and allow Ghanaians to decide themselves.
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Ghana has issued a revised travel guideline for international passengers as a result of the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron.
The travel advisory, which is in eight categories, will take effect from December 14, 2021.
The new guideline puts the responsibility of vaccination and adherence on both passengers and the airline such that airlines will not allow passengers who are not properly vaccinated or have no proof of an accepted COVID-19 test to board.
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