Ghana has launched a vaccination campaign against the novel corona virus disease days after taking delivery of the historic first shipment of the COVAX vaccines.
The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo together with his wife, Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo received the first shots of the vaccine. He described his decision as an important example to make every Ghanaian see how safe the vaccines are and feel comfortable to take it. Nana Akufo-Addo cautioned that until his team was satisfied that the virus had been defeated, all currently public health protocols would still be in place even with the availability of vaccines.
Similarly, the Vice President Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and Second Lady Hajia Samira Bawumia also took turns to undergo the COVID-19 vaccination procedures at the Police Hospital. Dr. Bawumia affirmed the safety of the vaccine and urged all Ghanaians to accept it.
A vaccine roll-out plan has been put together to inoculate over 20 million of the population. This phase which is the first is targeting persons ‘most at risk and frontline State officials’. This group includes healthcare workers, frontline security personnel, persons with underlying medical conditions, persons 60 years and above, and frontline members of the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary.
The second phase would target other essential service providers and the rest of the security agencies. It includes water and electricity supply services, teachers and students, supply and distribution of fuels, farmers and food value chain, telecommunications services, air traffic and civil aviation control services, meteorological services, air transport services, waste management services, media, public and private commercial transport services, the Police Service, Armed Forces, Prisons Service, Immigration Service, National Fire Service, CEPS Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, and other members of the Executive, Judiciary, and Legislature.
The third phase targets the rest of the general public, that is all persons over 18 years, except for pregnant women.
The final phase will include pregnant mothers and persons under the age of 18, and they will be vaccinated when an appropriate vaccine, hopefully, is found, or when enough safety data on the present vaccines are available. Special arrangements will be made for persons with disabilities who fall within these groups.
