Ghana Covid-19 vaccination target revised, 20 million persons targetted by June
The timeline set to inoculate 20 million Ghanaians against Covid-19 has been reviewed again by the government. The subsequent target set by President Akufo Addo was the end of March 2022 after the initial one was December 2021.
But now this new target set during his 28th Coronavirus update to Ghanaians on Sunday is June 2022.
He bemoaned the sluggish pace at attaining the national Covid-19 vaccination coverage but assured that government will intensify its strategies to encourage the majority of the population to receive the jabs.
“Whilst we have not achieved our national vaccination coverage target, it is significant to note that reasonable vaccination coverages have been achieved in the hotspots of infections, particularly in the urban areas of Greater Accra and Greater Kumasi. Government is determined to use all means to increase the deployment of vaccination across the country to achieve our target of vaccinating some 20 million Ghanaians by June.”
Another issue about the vaccine government has to grapple with are concerns that Ghana has a growing problem of vaccine hesitancy.
According to data, only 13.1 million Ghanaians out of the over 30 million population have received the vaccine.
The President thus advised those yet to be vaccinated not to hesitate in getting themselves inoculated.
“To my Fellow Ghanaians who have not received the jab, I urge you to take it. To those listening to the propaganda by the conspiracy theorists and those who are still sceptical about the efficacy of the vaccine, it has been a year since my wife and I got vaccinated; it has not disrupted our physical wellbeing, nor has it caused us to be sick. We are, touch wood, hale and hearty, like the other 13.1 million Ghanaians who have been vaccinated.”
Meanwhile, restrictions have further been eased as land and Sea borders have been opened as well as no more negative PCR tests for fully vaccinated travellers at the Kotoka International Airport. The mandatory wearing of face masks is also not in place any longer.
President Akufo-Addo attributed the eased restrictions to the reduced number of active cases in the country.
He also cited the number of vaccinated persons and the advice of the national Covid-19 Taskforce and the health experts leading to the revision of the Covid-19 restrictions, enacted under E.I. 64.
“Indeed, as of Friday, 25th March 2022, the total number of active cases stood at seventy-two (72). There are no severely or critically ill persons. Our Covid-19 treatment centres are empty, and the 4th wave appears to be over. In addition to these very low reported cases is the considerable improvement in the availability and uptake of vaccines by the population,” the President noted.
