Approval of Russian Sputnik V vaccine is good - Expert hails gov't

An infectious disease expert has backed government’s move to okay Russia’s coronavirus vaccine, Sputnik V.

Dr. John Amoasi cited efficacy and affordability as the two main reasons government was right to opt for the Russian vaccine as opposed to the Oxford/AstraZeneca version. GhanaWeb monitored his submissions on Accra-based radio outlet, Citi FM.

“Since we were ready to take the AstraZeneca vaccines which had an efficacy of around 75% and were much more expensive, we should go for the Sputnik V, which has 91% efficacy and costs about 10 dollars,” he said in an interview.

Russia’s sovereign fund outfit announced last Sunday, February 21, 2021; that the Ministry of Health had approved the use of Sputnik V for emergency uses in Ghana.

The statement did not state how many doses Russia will be making available neither did they state a time frame within which it is expected. Ghana became the fifth African country to turn to the Russians.

A number of African countries are looking to China’s Sinopharm for supply of vaccines. The African Union’s Africa Vaccine Acquisition Task Team and WHO-led COVAX facility are other avenues through which countries hope to get vaccines.

Government said vaccines are expected to arrive in as at February 22. It is yet to be known which ones exactly but the Minister of Information-designate said officials will publicly receive shots to build public confidence.