[ 2021-03-17 ]

COVID-19 vaccination in Ghana: 1,000 reports received on adverse effects
The Extended Programme on Immunisation (EPI) of
the Ghana Health Service (GHS) says it has
received about a 1,000 reports of adverse effects
from persons vaccinated against the Covid-19 in
Ghana out of the over 400,000 jabs.
These are people vaccinated within 12 days of the
first phase of the COVID-19 vaccination exercise.



The Programme Manager of the EPI, Dr Kwame
Amponsa-Achiano told the Ghana News Agency (GNA)
that the reactions and complaints received by his
outfit and the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) were
fever, sweating, headache, weakness, chills and
body aches, which were all expected.

The Programme Manager said the reports were not
different from reactions and adverse reports from
other countries and what was stated by the
manufacturer in the vaccine package information.

Dr Amponsa-Achiano said the complaints were
received mainly through the complaints call number
provided on the vaccination card, the Med App and
a complaints link provided by the FDA.

He said data showed that as of 7pm GMT on Sunday,
March 14, nearly 404,000 persons had taken their
first jab of the COVID-19 vaccine form the 43
districts earmarked for the first phase.



Those vaccinated include front-line health
workers, adults aged 60 years and above, and
people with underlining health conditions such as
diabetes, kidney diseases, hypertension, and
cancer.

The others are frontline security personnel,
frontline government officials, the media, and all
frontline workers in the formal sector.

A total of 20 million Ghanaians are expected to be
vaccinated against the virus, Dr Amponsa-Achiano
said, adding that females formed about 62 per cent
of the number vaccinated so far.

Pre Order Ghana Year Book 2021
He said about 58,000 persons with underling health
conditions, 91,000 adults aged 60 years and above,
about 68,000 health workers, 23,000 frontline
security personnel, and more than 48,000 essential
service providers had received their first jabs.

Similarly, more than 12,000 members of the
Executive, Judiciary, and Legislature, and 60,000
teachers aged 60 and above, more than 3,000 media
persons and 72,000 ordinary persons had been
vaccinated.



Dr Amponsah-Achiano encouraged the public to keep
adhering to the COVID-19 safety protocols by
wearing a nose mask, observing social distancing,
washing hands with soap under running water, or
sanitize hands frequently.

Coronaviruses are a large group of viruses that
are common among animals. In rare cases, they are
what scientists call zoonotic, meaning they can be
transmitted from animals to humans, according to
the US Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.

It has an incubation period of four to six days
and fatal, especially for those with a weakened
immune system, the elderly and the very young.

It could also result in pneumonia and bronchitis.

Source - GNA

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