Accra, The administration of the second dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine, which started on Tuesday, is progressing steadily in vaccination centres across the country. The exercise, expected to end on September 4, is for persons 18 years and above who received the first jab of the vaccine between March 10 and 29 2021, to take the second jab.
In all, a total of 249,600 jabs are expected to be administered across the regions.
When the Ghana News Agency (GNA) visited some vaccination centres in Accra on Wednesday, it observed that the exercise was running smoothly.
At the Korle-Bu Police Station vaccination centre, the GNA observed that the process was slow, however, about 65 doses were administered at 1400 hours.
The GNA also observed that some persons who had not received a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, also visited the centres hoping to be inoculated.
At about 1500 hours, 240 jabs had been administered at the Mamprobi Polyclinic, with people in a queue waiting for their turn.
The situation was not different at the Adabraka Polyclinic vaccination centre, where a handful of people waiting to be vaccinated before 1700 hours.
Earlier, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), had asked persons eligible to take the second jab of the AstraZeneca COVID- 19 vaccine to be patient and avoid overcrowding at the centres because Government was working around to get everyone vaccinated.
Dr. Kwame Amponsa-Achiano, Head of the Expanded Programme on Immunization, told the media that priority would be given to health workers in regions outside the Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions.
“We have about 400,000 people awaiting their second dose and because we received 249,000 we are doing equitable distribution across the regions and reserving some specifically for health workers who are at most risk,” he explained.
Dr Amponsa-Achiano said the rest of the persons eligible to receive their second jabs would have them by mid-September.
Ghana started the administration of AstraZeneca in March this year, presently, approximately 850,000 persons have received at least one dose of the vaccine with a little over half receiving their second dose.
Source: Ghana News Agency
Add Comment