Coronavirus vaccination: GHS vaccinates 300,000 people within a week

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has, so far, vaccinated 300,000 people since the COVID-19 mass vaccination programme started on March 2, 2021.

Those who received doses of the AstraZeneca vaccines included, health care workers, persons with underlying health conditions, essential service providers and those who were 60 years and above, as well as members of the security agencies, Executive, Legislature and Judiciary branches of government and the Media.

Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, Director-General of the GHS, announced this at Peduase Lodge in the Eastern Region, during a media update on Monday, after a three-day Cabinet Retreat.

He said the GHS targeted 570,000 people in the first phase of the vaccination, but the number of people vaccinated and registered onto the electronic database system within a week, had exceeded the 70 per cent threshold.

He applauded the media for intensifying sensitisation programme on the vaccine, which encouraged Ghanaians to voluntarily avail themselves of the vaccination.

So far, he said, Ghana had received 750,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccines from the COVAX Facility and expected to receive extra two million vaccines by the end of May, this year.

Dr Kuma-Aboagye stated that some of the vaccines were delivered to the various health centres via Zipline Drone Delivery Service.

Also, a decision had been made by the government to undertake a special vaccination programme for all health workers across the country although the initial arrangement was to vaccinate only people in 43 districts, which fall within the epicentres of the Coronavirus disease.

Government is also making frantic efforts to secure Cold Chain equipment that is capable to storing vaccines under negative temperatures.

The GHS Boss announced that a locally- developed App would soon be launched to aid in the appointment and registration of people onto the electronic database system to speed up the vaccination programme.

The mass vaccination exercise will continue till the end of October, this year.

About 20 million Ghanaians are expected to be vaccinated although the government's ambition is to vaccinate the entire population.

Government of Ghana received its first batch of Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, under the Global Access(COVAX Facility) on Wednesday, February 24,2021.