[ 2021-02-05 ]

Distribution of COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccines:
Distribution of COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccines:
Ghana receives 2.4m doses end of Feb …UN COVAX
facility confirms

Ghana will receive about 2.4 million initial doses
of the AstraZeneca vaccine by end of February, the
UN COVAX facility has confirmed.

Per an interim distribution forecast published on
Wednesday, the consignment is part of 240 million
doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccines licensed
to Serum Institute of India (AZ/SII) earmarked for
initial distribution to countries signed onto the
platform.

Some 144 developing countries will also receive
the vaccines subject to the World Health
Organisation (WHO) Emergency Use List (EUL) within
the same period.

“For AZ/SII and AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine under
the advance purchase agreement between Gavi, the
Vaccine Alliance and AstraZeneca (AZ) indicative
distribution, delivery is estimated to begin as of
late February, subject toWHO EUL, manufacturing
supply capacity and completion of
pre-requisites,” a statement issued on its
website said.

According to COVAX, the vaccines are expected to
cover an average of 3.3 per cent of the total
population of 145 participants receiving the
doses.

“This is in line with the facility target to
reach at least three per cent population coverage
in all countries in the first half of the year,
enough to protect the most vulnerable groups such
as health care workers,” it said.

President Akufo-Addo in his address to the nation
last Sunday disclosed plans to vaccinate the
entire population with an initial 20 million
people targeted for the first phase.

He hinted that the earliest vaccine would be in
the country by March, with the Food and Drugs
Authority (FDA) expected to use its established
processes for granting emergency use authorisation
for each vaccine in Ghana, emphasising that only
safe COVID-19 vaccine would be administered in the
country.

“Our aim is to vaccinate the entire population,
with an initial target of 20 million people.
Through bilateral and multilateral means, we are
hopeful that by the end of June, a total of 17.6
million vaccine doses would have been procured for
the Ghanaian people,” he said.

“As President of the Republic, I assure you that
only vaccines that have been evaluated and
declared as safe-for-use in Ghana will be
administered,” he assured.

Meanwhile, Presidential Advisor on health, Dr
Anthony Nsiah-Asare has explained government’s
vaccine roll-out plan upon arrival in the country
by March 2021.

According to him, four categories of persons have
been marked for the receipt of the vaccines.

Dr Nsiah-Asare said the segments were frontline
workers, people with some form of health risk and
co-morbidities, workers who offer essential
services and the arms of government and remaining
population.

COVAX is one of three pillars of the Access to
COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, which was
launched in April by the World Health Organisation
(WHO), the European Commission and France in
response to this pandemic.

Bringing together governments, global health
organisations, manufacturers, scientists, private
sector, civil society and philanthropy, the
platform aims to provide innovative and equitable
access to COVID-19 diagnostics, treatments and
vaccines.

Coordinated by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the
Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations
(CEPI) and the WHO, COVAX hopes to ensure that
people in all corners of the world get access to
COVID-19 vaccines once they are available,
regardless of their wealth.

Source -

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