The Ghana Health Service (GHS) says reports suggesting that Sputnik-V and AstraZeneca vaccines are ineffective against the Delta strain of SARS-Cov-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) are untrue.
In a statement to the media on Tuesday and signed by Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, Director-General, GHS, it said, according to Public Health England (PHE) two doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine are highly effective against hospitalisation due to the Delta variant and showed no deaths among those vaccinated.
“The data also suggest that the AstraZeneca vaccine is effective against symptomatic disease caused by the Delta variant.”
It said a study conducted by Gamaleya Center suggested that, Sputnik-V was more efficient against the Delta variant of the coronavirus, first detected in India, compared to other COVID-19 vaccines.
The statement said in the midst of global supply shortages, the MOH and GHS were diligently working with Government to ensure that adequate vaccines were procured to protect the population.
It, therefore, urged the citizenry to take advantage of the vaccination when their turn was due and entreated the public to adhere to the COVID-19 prevention protocols – wearing of face masks, practicing of hand hygiene and physical distancing.
The statement said as of now, the country had detected six Delta variants of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19 virus) from all samples taken between April and June, 2021 at the ports of entry.
However, no Delta variant had been detected from samples taken from cases in the community.
As at 19 June this year, active covid-1 cases in Ghana stood at 1,301, with 794 person dead. In total 95,236 person have tested positive in Ghana since records began with over 93,000 recoveries.
By:Isaac Clottey
