Ghana has taken delivery of 50,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines from India.
The vaccines were a donation from the Indian government, foreign affairs minister-designate Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey stated on Friday 5 March 2021 at the Kotoka International Airport.
She said the donation reflects the cordial and fraternal relations between Ghana and India.
“The donation, coming just a few days after the historic delivery of 600, 000 doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines to Ghana, under the COVAX Initiative, is certainly noteworthy support to our fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and reflects the very cordial and fraternal relations between Ghana and India.
“Furthermore, it underscores the mutual commitment of our two governments to work in solidarity and partnership to address common challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said at the brief ceremony.
Ghana made history as the first country to take delivery of 600,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines through the United Nations-backed COVAX initiative last week.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on 1 March 2021 became the first person to receive the COVAX COVID-19 vaccine jab.
Trust the FDA
“Our domestic regulatory agency, FDA, one of the most reputable in Africa and in the world, has certified the safe use of the vaccine. It will not do so if it had any reservations about the safety of the vaccine, and I have gone on record as saying that no vaccine will be deployed in the country for use without the express certification of the FDA,” Akufo-Addo said in a televised address to the nation.
“Taking the vaccine will not alter your DNA, it will not embed a tracking device in your body, neither will it cause infertility in women or in men,” the president said.
Vaccine is safe
“As your President, I want to assure you that the vaccine is safe. That is why tomorrow, on Monday, 1st March, ahead of the commencement of the vaccination programme on Tuesday, 2nd March, my wife the First Lady, the Vice President, his wife the Second Lady, and I will take the vaccine publicly at two (2) health facilities in Accra,” Akufo-Addo announced ahead of today’s inoculation ceremony at the 37 Military Hospital.
Ghana’s full vaccination programme kicked off 2 March.
“The first segment of the population that will receive from the 600,000 doses will be health workers, adults 60 years and over, people with underlying health conditions, frontline executive, legislature, judiciary and their related staff, frontline security personnel, some religious leaders, essential workers, teachers and other personalities in Greater Accra Metro including Awutu Senya and Awutu Senya East in the Central Region. A similar segmented population in the Greater Kumasi Metro and Obuasi municipality will also be covered,” an initial statement from the Information Ministry said.
The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines were produced by the Serum Institute of India.
