The Ghana Health Service (GHS) is urging persons above 18 years and eligible to take the COVID-19 jab should do so beginning Monday, August 16, 2021 when the various vaccination centres are opened in Accra.
The service, at a press conference last Friday, said seven districts in the Greater Accra Region will start inoculating eligible persons with the Johnson and Johnson vaccine.
The seven areas in the capital include Accra metro, Adentan, Tema, Okaikwei, Kpone, Ablekuma and the Ga South districts.
Speaking to Citi News, Deputy Director of Public Health for the Greater Accra Region, Dr. Akosua Sika Ayisi urged residents in the region to embrace the vaccination exercise to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus and its attendant health complications.
“We encourage the general public to once again come out to be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. In this particular campaign that begins on Monday, we will be using the Johnson and Johnson vaccine which is a single dose. So once you take one shot, you are covered and protected against COVID-19. Vaccination reduces one’s risk to be infected, get severe diseases or suffer death.”
Ghana took delivery of 177,600 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to vaccinate people who are yet to receive a COVID-19 jab.
The vaccine is the first batch of the Africa Union’s African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT) initiative delivered to Ghana.
The vaccine shots are to be given out in 11 districts; seven in the Greater Accra Region and four in the Greater Kumasi metro, targeting persons at higher risk.
Already, the administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has begun in the Ashanti Region.
The Ashanti Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has said it is impressed with the massive turnout for vaccination in two of the region’s districts, Kwadaso and Kumasi Metro, where the exercise commenced.
The directorate is looking to vaccinate some 50,000 persons in this round of Johnson & Johnson inoculation in four districts; Kwadaso, Kumasi metro, Oforikrom and Asokwa.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Health Service will not be offering the Johnson & Johnson jabs to persons who have previously received the AstraZeneca vaccine.
