Government to secure 20 million new vaccines - Mensah Bonsu

Government says it is working to secure additional 20 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines in order to ensure that it achieves head immunity by the end of 2021.

The move will ensure that majority of Ghanaians are vaccinated against the deadly disease.

Presenting the 2021 Budget in Parliament on Friday afternoon, March 12, 2021, the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah Bonsu, who is also acting as the caretaker Minister of Finance, said government is working to scale up the head immunity drive.

He said "until we achieve head immunity, we cannot let our guards down."

Background

Ghana on Wednesday, February 24, 2021, took delivery of 600,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine made by the Serum Institute of India (Covishield).

It made Ghana the first country to receive the vaccine from the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility (COVAX), which has 92 beneficiary countries signed on to it, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his wife, Rebecca Akufo-Addo on Monday, March 1, 2021 took the first jabs of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra.

The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and his wife, Samira Bawumia as well as former President John Dramani Mahama and other prominent Ghanaians have also taken the vaccine.