Coronavirus Vaccines: Govt to roll out doses in four categories - Nsiah-Asare

Following President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s announcement that Ghana will be procuring vaccines for the deadly coronavirus soon, there have been discussions and debates on which one would best serve the Ghanaian populace and its efficiency.

Dr. Anthony Nsiah-Asare, who is the Presidential Advisor on Health, has been offering some explanations on the vaccines and how the government intends to roll them out.

In his 23rd address to the nation, President Akufo-Addo once again stated the intention of his government to get vaccines for the country, adding that the plan is to vaccinate 20 million Ghanaians by the end of the process.

“Our aim is to vaccinate the entire population with an initial target of 20 million people. Through bilateral and multilateral means, we are hopeful of by the end of June, a total of 17,600,000 vaccine doses will have been procured for the Ghanaian people,” he said in an address to the nation on Sunday evening.

Meanwhile, speaking on Citi TV’s The Point of View, Dr, Nsiah-Asare indicated that the government will roll out four categories of persons to receive the vaccine doses over a certain period for the COVAX vaccine.

According to citinewsroom.com, he said these categories will be frontline workers, people with some form of health risk and comorbidities, workers who offer essential services, and the arms of governments, before the rest of the population get the opportunity to be vaccinated.

With the first batch of vaccines expected in the country by March 2021, he said that the decision of the government is to procure the vaccines from bilateral organizations, including some from the private sector.

“We are also getting vaccines from bilateral organizations. We are also getting vaccines from the private sector which have agreed to give vaccines for the companies, but they will also give the government the same amount of vaccines,” he added.

He said further that with the first batch of COVAX vaccines expected in the country, it will forms “about 20 percent of those vaccines which are about six million.”