By Nana Karikari in Accra, Ghana
WED 24 FEB, 2021-theGBJournal- The Government of Ghana has taken delivery of 600,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine made by the Serum Institute of India (covishield), the first country to do so.
The Vaccines which arrived the country today is the first consignment of vaccines acquired through the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility which Ghana, among 92 countries signed unto.
According to a statement by the Ghana Ministry of Information seen by theGBJournal, the Ghana Government spelt out how the vaccines will be administered to segmented populations.
The government said the COVID-19 vaccination will be conducted in phases among segmented populations.
The first segment of the population that will receive from the 600,000 doses will be health workers, adults 60 years and above, people with underlying health conditions, frontline executive, legislature, judiciary and their related staff, frontline security personnel, some religious leaders, essential workers, teachers and other personalities in Greater Accra.
‘’A similar segmented population in the Greater Kumasi municipality will also be covered,’’ the Government said.
The government will begin deployment of the Vaccines in health facilities and designated centres in these geographical regions from 2nd March.
The Unicef Representative in Ghana, Anne-Claire Dufay and WHO Representatives to Ghana, Dr Francis Kasolo put out a joint statement saying that the ‘’path to recovery for the people of Ghana can finally begin.’’
‘’This is a momentous occasion, as the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccines into Ghana is critical in bringing the pandemic to an end. The only way out of this crisis is to ensure that vaccinations are available for all.’’
They said; ‘’the shipment also represent the beginning of what should be the largest vaccine procurement and supply operation in history.’’
The COVAX Facility plans to deliver close to 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines this year in an unprecedented global effort to ensure all citizens have access to vaccines.
More than 80, 700 Ghanaians have been infected by the coronavirus and over 580 have lost their lives to the deadly virus.
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