The first tranche will start in Accra while the Ashanti will start the vaccinations from Monday, August 16, 2021.
“We are hopeful that at least the Greater Accra Region will start [vaccination] on Friday. [Vaccines for] Kumasi will be leaving here today [Thursday], so it will not be realistic for Ashanti to start tomorrow [Friday]… hopefully by Monday, they should also be able to start,” the manager of Ghana’s expanded programme on Immunisation, Dr. Kwame Amponsa-Achiano said.
The vaccine shots will be given out in 11 districts; seven in the Greater Accra Region and four in the Greater Kumasi metro.
Ghana has received its first batch of the Johnson & Johnson vaccines under the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT), a move initiated by the African Union (AU).
A delegation led by Deputy Minister of Health Tina Mensah on Saturday, August 7 , 2021, received the 177,600 single-shot doses were received at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).
“The Number One priority of the government of Ghana is to build a resilient healthcare system for the people of Ghana,” she said after receiving the vaccines from AVAT representatives.
“In this connection, the Ministry of Health has continuously initiated programmes and projects to improve the delivery of healthcare services.”
The AVAT initiative began distribution of the South Africa-made vaccines on Thursday, August 5 with Togo becoming the first nation to receive them.