The Director of Public Health at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr. Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe has revealed that, Ghana is expected to receive about one million doses of Russia’s Sputnik-V vaccine soon.
Speaking during an interview, he averred that the vaccines will be delivered in the coming weeks. This, he said, is to help continue the vaccination exercise and also the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
The Director of Public Health speaking on the arrangement disclosed that, most of the vaccines available have been used.
“Ghana had an initial allocation of 600,000 and largely most of it has been used. We have vaccinated about 500,000 persons. We’ve received consignment from MTN and the African Union. We also had 50,000 from the Indian government. So, we are hoping to get about a million of Sputnik within the next few weeks.”
Dr Aseidu-Bekoe
Dr. Asiedu-Bekoe also gave further information on an earlier commitment made by the COVAX Facility for two million vaccines to be delivered to Ghana.
“…we were supposed to get a total of 2.4 million from the initial consignment. So, we had the 600,000 and the plan is that we are going to get the next two million somewhere in May.”
Dr. Aseidu Bekoe
He, however, indicated that there are challenges with regards to getting the vaccines due to the global shortage.
“There is a global shortage of vaccines which is somehow a challenge. But, we are still on course to make sure that we get the vaccines in the next few weeks. So, we will have a bit of Sputnik and COVAX vaccines. The timelines are not so rigid; so, you get it depending on the availability.”
Dr. Aseidu-Bekoe
Vaccination Process Successful
Also, Immunologist and Research Fellow at the West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, Dr. Yaw Bediako has averred that the vaccination process in the country has so far been successful.
Dr Bediako stated that the conspiracy theories that were purported to prevent people from taking the vaccine have not affected vaccine roll out. In his view, the citizens is responding quite well to the newly-developed drug. Sputnik-V Vaccine
“We have vaccinated a good number of people. Considering the number of vaccines we received, we have almost exhausted that supply and I think we have done so very quickly.
“Yes, the conspiracy theories are bound but I don’t really believe it has affected the roll out of the vaccine in Ghana. We don’t yet have saturation; it is not like we have millions of vaccines to give out and they were going to waste. We have handed out 500, 000 out of the 600, 000 that we received. So, on the whole, you can give us quite a good grade as far as the roll out is concerned.”
Dr. Yaw Bediako
Ghana is the fifth in Africa and 31st in the world to approve the emergency use of the vaccine in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
