Over 9 million doses of covid19 vaccines have been administered in Ghana so far according to statistics from the Ghana Health Service per its updates on its website, as of 10th January 2022, over six and half million persons in Ghana have received at least one dose, with almost 3 million persons receiving 2 doses.
Astrazeneca is the most administered vaccine in the country with a little over 6 million doses administered, Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine has 1.3 million doses administered, Moderna has 963,312 doses administered, Johnson and Johnson has 596,567 doses administered, Sputnik V is the least administered in the country thus far, with 17,982
On the Covid19 situation, active cases in Ghana is currently pegged at 10,889 as of 8th January 2022, which is a significant reduction from a peak of some 13,000 cases last week. 1,336 persons have so far died from Covid19 in Ghana from the over 150,000 infections recorded in Ghana since the advent of the disease.
In a related development, the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has stated that COVID-19 vaccines in the country are potent and efficacious.
It said data available to it supports the efficacy and safety of all the COVID-19 vaccines used in Ghana.
These were contained in a statement jointly signed by its President, Dr Frank Serebour and General Secretary, Dr Titus Beyuo in reaction to media reports on a petition by some doctors to the President on the vaccines.
The statement said the GMA found the contents of the said petition “misleading, unfortunate, and not based on available local and international scientific data”.
It said, it therefore, dissociates itself from the said petition.
The statement said the contents of the petition did not in any way reflect the situation of COVID-19 in Ghana.
It said the evidence that the vaccines reduced the incidence of critical illness, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission and deaths globally and in Ghana was undisputed.
It said whiles it acknowledged that individual doctors might have concerns based on personal beliefs, it encouraged doctors to be guided by the available medical evidence in their public discourse and channel all grievances through the appropriate avenues for redress.
Meanwhile, Emirates Airlines has announced the resumption of flights to five destinations, including Ghana.
The airline in a statement said all passengers arriving from Ghana Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire, Uganda) and Angola must present a valid negative COVID-19 PCR test certificate with a QR code for a test conducted at an approved facility, within the stipulated time frame prior to the flight departure.
The resumption of flights comes a fortnight after Emirates suspended indefinitely the entry of travelers from 10 African countries including Ghana.
The airline said passengers on direct and transit flights from Ghana, Angola, Guinea, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Zambia and Zimbabwe will not be permitted to travel to Dubai from December 28, 2021.
That suspension was aimed at limiting the spread of Covid-19, particularly in light of the emergence of the Omicron variant.
By:Isaac Clottey
