COVID-19 vaccination to be rolled out in three phases
Ghana’s COVID-19 vaccine deployment plan is expected to kick off in mid-March in three phases.
The vaccination will be staggered until August 2021 with the eventual vaccination of the entire target population of 20 million.
This was disclosed by the Programme Manager of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation, Dr Kwame Amponsah-Achiano, at a webinar organized by the Centre for Social Justice under the topic: ‘COVID-19 Vaccines in Ghana, Availability, the Science and the Myths’.
Dr Amponsah-Achiano explained that Ghana has drafted its national vaccine deployment plan to aid roll out as part of COVID-19 preventive measures.
The vaccine deployment would be based on the segmentation of the population.
Phase 1
Phase 1 is expected to cater to health care workers, security personnel and persons with known underlying medical conditions.
About 1,555,475 people are expected to be vaccinated during this phase.
Phase 2
The second phase will include adults above 60 years, secondary and tertiary students, teachers, essential service providers, specialized groups on national assignment, the executive, legislature, judiciary, ministries, civil service and media personnel, covering approximately 6,380,620 people.
Phase 3
The third phase will cover other members of the population excluding children under 16 years and pregnant women. About 9,523,313 persons will be vaccinated.
It is expected that the deployment will pose huge cold chain logistical challenges, with 15 districts and 7 regional health directorates needing new facilities including walk-in cold rooms.
Training of personnel for the vaccine deployment is set to begin and are designed to mix the virtual and in-person practical approach to ensure adherence to COVID-19 preventive protocols.
The Chairman of the Governing Council of the Centre for Social Justice, Dr Sodzi Sodzi-Tettey, said that the webinar was organized by the centre to satisfy the need for credible information on Ghana’s strategy towards managing the pandemic.
A total of 350,000 COVID-19 vaccines are expected to arrive in the country by February 22 to pave way for the vaccination in the first week of March.
President Nana Akufo-Addo has promised to procure and administer 17.6 million COVID-19 vaccine doses in the first half of 2021 as part of an initial push to tackle the contagion.