Government has disclosed that it is expecting some COVID-19 vaccines from the USA and UK to complete the first round of the national inoculation exercise.
The doses of vaccines are expected to vaccinate more Ghanaians.
According to the government, it is expecting the vaccines to arrive in the country by early July 2021.
The government clarified that the vaccines will be administered to persons who are yet to take their second jabs due to the scarcity of the vaccines.
Over 379,000 out of 852,047 Ghanaians have so far received their second jabs.
Addressing the press on the procurement of vaccines, the Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, said the government is committed to vaccinating more Ghanaians.
“…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.”
Also commenting on the procurement of Sputnik-V vaccines, Mr. Agyeman-Manu said plans to reach a bilateral agreement with the government of Russia proved futile, hence the only alternative was to resort to intermediaries.
“Our first effort was to try a bilateral engagement, but it yielded no significant result. We had to write to the Foreign Affairs Minister of Russia, their Health Minister, their Trade Minister in a bid to get some doses of Sputnik- V, but all these didn’t yield any results.”
Earlier date for expected vaccines
Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, had indicated that the shortest time Ghana would get its next vaccines would be in August 2021, which contradicts his new position.
“We are waiting for vaccines. The agreements I signed, if they give me an indication that tomorrow morning come to the airport and collect your vaccines, we will go. Other than that, the earlier time we have an indication to get vaccines would be in August.”