Ghana expected to receive 2-3 million vaccines by May 2021 – Okoe Boye

Ghana is expecting to receive at least two million Covid-19 vaccines between now and May to sustain rollout of the vaccination programme.

The consignment will add up to vaccine gifts from Russia and India to inoculate the targeted twenty million Ghanaians against the disease.

In the last few days, social media has been replete with complaints of adverse effect of the covid vaccine on people who have been administered the jab.

The complaints appear to be scaring several others from availing themselves for the jab.

Former Deputy Health Minister and member of Ghana’s covid management team, Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye says the reactions are normal and would fade away in no time.

“I took my jab on Tuesday and what I experienced is what many people have complained about. Some pain in the injection area, a little bit of joint pain as if you have run a marathon,” Dr. Okoe-Boye told journalists during the handover of some sanitary materials and PPEs to the 37 military hospital children’s ward by CEO of Odulair Ghana Limited.

He said, “all those adverse effects will heal after twenty-four hours.”

The vaccines he stressed “are capable of offering you a shield against the severe ailment and also prevent you from getting to the critical stage.”

The member of Ghana’s covid 19 management revealed Ghana in the coming months would take delivery of some 2 million more vaccines to inoculate its citizens.

“Between this month and May, we are expecting 2-3 million vaccines from COVAX, Sputnik has gifted us some few thousands from a Russian federation.”

Dr. Okoe-Boye noted, “Indian government has gifted Ghana fifty thousand vaccines and COVAX is bringing some 2 million.”

According to him, the Health Minister is working with the Russian government to bring in about ten million sputnik vaccines and so the target of inoculating 20 million Ghanaians will be achieved.”

Is the country ensuring the vaccines that are being imported are safe and efficacious?

“We have to check for batch numbers and product quality before allowing them in the country. We know there can be fake ones in the system, so we are alert.”