500K doses of COVID-I9 vaccines to be delivered to persons 18 years and above in July – GHS

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has announced that it is conducting a National COVID-19 vaccination campaign across the country throughout the month of July, starting from July 3, 2024.

The Service aims to administer at least 500,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccines during this nationwide campaign to all individuals aged 18 years and above, as part of the periodic intensification of COVID-19 vaccination efforts.

Vaccination teams will be available at various hospitals, clinics, and health centers to administer the COVID-19 vaccines to the target population.

In addition, the vaccination teams will move from house to house, market centers, churches, mosques, workplaces, etc., to make these vaccines readily available to all eligible persons.

According to the GHS, the COVID-19 vaccine is now a routine vaccine for adults and is available at all vaccination centers across the country. Although the country has made significant progress in vaccinating the target population, there are still segments of the population that have received only partial doses or have not received any dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and thus remain vulnerable to the disease.

Furthermore, children below 15 years of age, who are not eligible for COVID-19 vaccination according to the national policy, also remain vulnerable and need to be indirectly protected through high vaccination uptake by the adult population (herd immunity).

"As of June 28, 2024, a total of 29,191,110 doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered to the population, and about 56% of the target population had completed the primary series.

"As the country strives to increase population immunity and break the transmission of the disease, within the context of a gradual increase in cases, it is imperative that all unvaccinated and partially vaccinated individuals are reached to prevent any potential surge in disease incidence and associated ill health and/or death," a statement signed by Dr. Patrick Kumah Aboagye, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, said.

"In the recent past (early April – May 2024), the increased number of COVID-19 cases in Ghana is ample evidence that the disease is not over. We are, therefore, calling on all stakeholders to support this effort by making sure that all eligible persons avail themselves to be vaccinated with the primary series and the boosters to ensure maximum protection. Protect yourself, protect your family, get vaccinated."