The government says it is doing all it can to ensure that the majority of Ghanaians receive COVID -19 vaccine jabs in the coming weeks.
So far, about 1.2 million Ghanaians have been vaccinated, with close to about 500,000 people yet to take their second dose of the initially rolled out AstraZeneca vaccine.
Currently, Ghana is administering Johnson & Johnson vaccines in the Greater Kumasi area in the Ashanti Region, with residents of Accra expected to receive their Johnson & Johnson jabs from Monday, August 16, 2021.
As the country targets vaccinating 20 million of the population, Presidential Advisor on Health, Dr. Anthony Nsiah-Asare, said Ghana will take delivery of more vaccines soon.
“The good news is that we are going to have more and more of the Johnson & Johnson vaccines coming in over a period of time – regularly because we are getting it from the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust. I know that there will be another batch in addition to the other one that came last Saturday. That will even be more than the first batch. It will come every other week or so, that is what I have heard.”
He however cautioned Ghanaians who have received either a single or double dose of AstraZeneca vaccines against going in for the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
“The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is going to a different cohort and not for those who have taken the AstraZeneca. If you have taken the two doses of the AstraZeneca, then you have finished and fully covered. But if you have taken only one dose, I am assuming that the second dose will come very soon. So let’s concentrate on those who haven’t taken it at all, so they come for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine”, Dr. Nsiah Asare added.
Ghana took delivery of 177,600 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to vaccinate people who are yet to receive a COVID-19 jab.
The vaccine is the first batch of the Africa Union’s African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT) initiative delivered to Ghana.
The vaccine shots are to be given out in 11 districts; seven in the Greater Accra Region, and four in the Greater Kumasi metro, targeting persons at higher risk.
