The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has announced that more COVID-19 vaccines may be delivered to the country by the end of July 2021.
Due to a shortage of authorized COVID-19 vaccines on the market, the government is struggling to achieve its immunization goal of 20 million people by the end of the year.
This has forced the government to use all available resources in order to get vaccines but to no effect.
However, Dr. Patrick Kuma Aboagye, Director of the GHS, said during a news conference on the management of the epidemic in the nation on Sunday, July 4, 2021, that preparations are well along to acquire certain vaccines by the end of July 2021.
Despite this, Dr. Kuma Aboagye encouraged everyone to continue following the approved COVID-19 safety procedures.
According to him, this is the only method to keep infections to a bare minimum.
“We are concerned about the non-compliance with the COVID-19 standards, as well as the confirmation of the Delta variant throughout the community. As a result, we are encouraging all Ghanaians that no further precautions are required and that all current measures are still effective. Washing your hands, using nasal masks, and avoiding crowds are all critical, regardless of the variation. So we must all ensure that this is strictly enforced.”
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“A lot is ongoing, and we have indications that we may be getting some vaccines probably towards the end of the month, but the challenge is that a lot more is going on from COVAX and the donation from the USA and of course efforts to buy. So all these are ongoing and I am sure at the appropriate time, everybody will be vaccinated.”
Similar assurances by the Health Minister
Mr. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, the Health Minister, gave a similar assurance last month.
He also said that the still-to-be-received vaccines would be given to those who have yet to get their second shot.
“…For those of us who haven’t had our second dose yet, there is a lot of hope. We have indications that are giving us hope for the very near future.”
“We are expecting vaccines from the USA, and we’ve got a promise from the UK to help us complete our second dose quickly. We don’t know the exact date, but we anticipate this in late June or early July.”
Highly-transmissible COVID-19 Delta strain in communities
The Delta variant of COVID-19, a highly transmissible strain originating in India, is presently present in the Ghanaian population.
According to the GHS, this was verified in a statement released by the Ministry of Information.
“At 10:00hours on Friday, July 2, 2021, the Covid-19 task force was advised by Ghana Health Service, that the Delta Variant of the SARS-Cov-2 virus has been recorded within a community (i.e. non-arriving passengers) in the latest round of genomic sequencing”.
“Relevant agencies are taking the necessary steps to ensure that spread is contained. The positive persons are in good health. The task force will provide further details at 13:00hours on Sunday, July 4th, 2021”
“The public is encouraged to carefully adhere to the COVID-19 preventative etiquette when engaging in authorized activities,” the Ghana Health Service said.
Currently, the infectious Coronavirus – Delta strain has been discovered at the Achimota School in the Greater Accra Region.
SOURCE: ATLFMONLINE
