Don’t panic, second dose of coronavirus vaccines will soon come – Health Minister

The Minister of Health, Hon. Kwaku Agyemang-Manu has urged Ghanaians to be calm and not panic as efforts are being made to import the 2nd dose of the coronavirus vaccines.

Ghanaians who took the first shots of the vaccines in March are expected to receives the 2nd shots of the vaccines for a complete vaccination. However, delays in rolling out the second phase is gradually raising fears.

According to Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is making personal diplomatic efforts to ensure the country gets the second dose of the coronavirus vaccines.

The Health Minister admitted that India’s decision to suspend exports of the vaccines to countries has significantly affected Ghana’s plans of rolling out the 2nd dose of the vaccination.

“It is a difficult challenge getting the vaccines,” the Health Minister noted on the sidelines of an event to mark the annual vaccination week in Accra.

He added, “The vaccines expected to be delivered by COVAX in May but because of challenges in India, they have stopped exports and therefore we can’t have access to AstraZeneca.”

“The President is making high-level diplomatic engagements and we believe that may yield results. We can’t tell when the deliveries would be made,” the Health Minister told Joy FM.

He further urged Ghanaians to not be alarmed by the delay in rolling out the second dose.

“Those who had the first dose, we will try to get the vaccination so we do the 2nd dose between the 12 to 8 weeks. People shouldn’t panic we will get vaccines to do vaccination,” Kwaku Agyemang-Manu stated.