The Minority in Parliament has asked the government to expedite the procurement of the second batch of COVID-19 vaccines for Ghanaians.

According to the group, the government has made very little attempt in securing the vaccines despite the budgetary allocation made for them.

Addressing the media, Ranking Member on the Health Committee in Parliament, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh said Ghanaians stand to lose their partial immunity against the disease with the delay in the second vaccination of the populace.

“We would like to call on the government to expedite the action on vaccines as earlier promised. Ghanaians were informed that the first dose of COVID-19 vaccines will provide a high level of protection for about eight weeks by which time another consignment would have arrived to ensure the administering of second jabs for those who had received their first jab.”

“Today is the 2nd of May and as we speak, not an additional dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine has arrived, putting Ghanaians who have already received the first jab at risk of losing the partial immunity acquired through vaccination.”

The government has faced challenges in procuring additional vaccines to meet the initial eight-week window given to persons who received the first jab, to get their second dose.

The Ghana Health Service recently issued a communiqué postponing the second phase of vaccination exercise for persons who have taken the first jab.

A total of 755,686 people have received their first jabs of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines, with the Greater Accra Region having the highest number of inoculated persons.