The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, has directed that all Members of Parliament (MP) take the COVID-19 vaccine booster.
According to him, MPs and their families, staff and ancillary staff will commence their session of the exercise on Tuesday, January 25, 2022 till Thursday.
The speaker had earlier informed President Akufo-Addo that “parliament intends to undertake a Covid-19 (booster) vaccination exercise for Hon Members of Parliament and Officers of the Parliamentary Service, as part of measures to contain the infection and spread of the Coronavirus Disease within the parliamentary precincts”.
According to the speaker, the booster shot is compulsory for all working within the precincts of parliament.
Henceforth, members, staff and ancillary staff will be required to show proof of vaccination before being allowed into any office within the precincts of parliament.
Alban Bagbin threatened that, any MP who refuses to take the vaccine will be denied access to Parliament premises.
“After the vaccination exercise, any member, staff and ancillary staff who fails to take the booster jab will be denied access to Parliament,” he said.
The speaker had earlier noted that “as we may be aware last year this house arranged for the conduct of two vaccination exercise as for members and ancillary staff and their families within the parliamentary enclave in order to reduce the spread of infection of Covid-19 virus. I must state that the exercise was highly successful”.
He also added that medical experts have highly recommended that even after taking two shots of the vaccine, one will require a booster shot for an extra layer of protection against the virus.
“It is against this background that after consultation with the leaders of the house, I directed the Clerk and the administration to arrange a vaccination booster exercise which commenced on Saturday, January 22, for staff…Parliament has resumed sitting today and the exercise is continuing today to Thursday January 27 for members, staff, ancillary staff and members of their families. I want at this stage to state that this booster exercise vaccination is compulsory for everyone working within the presence of parliament and this applies to those who have taken the two shots of the vaccine,” he said.
He further noted that MPs who have taken only one shot of the vaccine and those who have not taken at all are excluded from the booster exercise.
On his part, the Majority leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah Bonsu, supported the speaker’s stance and said that legislators are fully covered once their families are also vaccinated to avoid re-infection in their homes.
Meanwhile, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has made a clarion call on all persons who are yet to be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus, to stop entertaining any form of skepticism about the jab and get vaccinated.
