Former President John Dramani Mahama has encouraged Ghanaians to get vaccinated against the coronavirus pandemic because the vaccines save lives.

Mr Mahama said he has personally lost friends to the pandemic because they did not believe in vaccination.

Using himself as an example, the 2020 flagbearer of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) said the vaccines are safe and have no dire effects.

Delivering a thank-you address to Ghanaians on Wednesday, 10 November 2021 for the support they showed him in the last election, Mr Mahama said: “COVID-19 is still here with us and those of you who have not yet taken your vaccination, I appeal to you, it saves life. I’ve lost too many friends to covid-19 because they did not believe in vaccinations and I can assure you the vaccinations are safe you can take them and you’ll have no adverse repercussions.

“I’m a living testimony of the vaccinations and I can tell you there have been no adverse repercussions on my mortal being and, so, those of you who have not taken it, please remember to go and take your covid-19 vaccines”.

Figures from the Ghana Health Service indicate that some 3,188,114 vaccine doses have been administered in the country as of 5 November 2021.

As of the same date, Ghana’s total recorded covid-19 cases stood at 130, 608 with 128,131 recovered and discharged.

Some 1,203 people have died from the virus while the active cases stand at 1,247.