The Volta Region has the lowest percentage of people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in the country, the Volta Regional Deputy Director of Health (DDH), Dr Senanu Kwesi Djokoto, has said.

He indicated that although there was no recorded case of COVID-19 in the Volta Region as of now, health authorities were worried over the widespread lack of interest in vaccination against the virus.

“We have, so far, administered only 464,464 doses of COVID-19 vaccines, covering only 12.3 per cent of the region’s population of 1,955,371,” Dr Djokoto stated at a media launch of the National Vaccination Day in Ho last Wednesday.

Dr Djokoto, who is in-charge of public health, pointed out that the easing of COVID-19 restrictions across the globe did not make vaccination against the virus less important.

Greater responsibility

He insisted that the easing of the restrictions rather placed a greater responsibility on the citizens to sustain COVID-19 vaccination until an appreciable level of herd immunity was attained.

He reiterated that COVID- 19 vaccines were safe, and that the health service, together with the Food and Drugs Authority, continued to monitor all the safety and efficacy indicators of the vaccines around the clock.

According to Dr Djokoto, the vaccination campaign slated for April 21-25, this year, sought to vaccinate at least 20 per cent of Volta Region’s population who were yet to receive the dose.

Enough vaccines

Earlier, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Representative, Dr Kafui Senya, said 30 million COVID-19 vaccines had been made available for the national exercise, with a target of 20 million people.

“So, we have enough vaccines for the exercise,” he affirmed.

The Regional Coordinator of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation, Mr Emmanuel Bonsu, said some communities which previously drove away nurses to avoid vaccination against COVID-19 had departed from that stance and were now ready for the immunization exercise following engagements between them and health officials.