Coronavirus vaccine: We've not given up on our 20 million target - Dr. Kumah Aboagye

The Director-General of Ghana Health Service, Dr. Patrick Kumah Aboagye, says the Ghana government has not given up on its target of vaccinating 20 million Ghanaians against Coronavirus.

As at May 7th 2021, 852,047 persons had taken the first jab of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The rollout of the second doses of the vaccine began on Wednesday, May 19, 2021.

Speaking on Atinka TV’s morning show, Ghana Nie, hosted by Ekourba Gyasi Simpremu, Dr Patrick Kumah said the GHS was targeting 350,000 people out of those who received the first dose from the 1st to 9th March 2021 for the second dose.

However, he said as at Wednesday, May 19th, 2021 about 14,000 had been vaccinated, saying that the GHS will know the actual number of those who have taken the vaccine so far.

Dr. Patrick Kumah said so far, Ghana has reached just about 10 percent of its target, adding that when Ghana receives the rest of the vaccine, the target will be reached.

“With the health system in Ghana, if we get the 20, million doses of the vaccine, within a month, we can administer all of them. The target is still there,” he said.

He said by the end of June or July, the pressure on supply might have gone down, adding that, “More vaccines are coming into the market, the Koreans are coming out with their vaccines and many others are coming, so I am sure that at some point, there will be enough vaccines and we can buy some. That is why we are using this segmentation so that whiles we are waiting to get all, because now even if you have money, you might not get some to buy, so this approach will reduce the pressure and the spread of the disease in Ghana.”

He said it will help a lot if the cases in Accra and Kumasi is controlled.

He reiterated that those who did not take the first dose cannot take the second dose.

Meanwhile, he said the government has made arrangements to get more vaccines in the country.