The Government of Ghana on Wednesday, received its the first batch of 600,000 Covax and AstraZeneca Coronavirus vaccine at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra.
The Minister for Health Designate, Mr Kwaku Agyeman Manu, led government delegation to receive the vaccines which at Kotoka International Airport arrived early Wednesday.
With these consignments, Ghana has become the first country to receive the COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX Facility.
Currently Ghana which is grappling with the effects of the covid-19 pandemic has over 6000 active cases after over 80,000 cumulative infections.
Over 500 persons have died as a result of the novel corona-virus and it may be recalled that in the last presidential address to the nation by President Akufo-Addo on covid-19 update, he stated that the country has put in place measures to procure the vaccines and a plan to roll out a vaccination program.
Meanwhile, the minister of information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has released a statement outlining the roll out of the vaccines.
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 over, 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 Metro including Awutu Senya and Awutu Senya East in the Central Region. A similar segmented population in the Greater Kumasi Metro and Obuasi municipality will also be covered.
From 2nd March, the COVID-19 vaccines will be deployed in health facilities and designated centres in in these geographical regions.
Meanwhile, Ghana is among 92 countries that will receive a no-fault compensation claim of serious side effects for people who are vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine acquired from the COVAX facility.
This follows an agreement by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that a no-fault-lump sum would be provided for serious COVAX vaccine side effects to reduce the need for resources to the law courts, a potentially lengthy and costly process.
The COVID-19 Vaccine, Global Access (COVAX) Facility, is a global initiative aimed at ensuring equitable access to COVID -19 diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines to all countries regardless of their wealth.
WHO said COVAX had been created to maximize the world’s chances of successfully developing COVID-19 vaccines and manufacture them in quantities needed to end the pandemic.
By:Isaac Clottey
