Kumasi embraces coronavirus vaccination programme

Ghana’s COVID-19 vaccination rollout has seen encouraging patronage from the residents of Kumasi, the country’s second-largest city, with the Mayor, Mr Osei Assibey-Antwi, and some key personalities receiving a shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine on Tuesday, March 2.

Heads of the various security agencies, religious organizations, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), amongst others, were vaccinated at the premises of the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council (RCC).

This was after Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, had a jab of the vaccine at the Manhyia Palace.

Officials from the World Health Organization (WHO), Ministry of Health (MoH) and Ghana Health Service (GHS) attended the ceremony.

The Oxford-AstraZeneca (AZD1222) is a viral vector vaccine whose efficacy had proven to be between 60 and 90 per cent, according to health experts.

Ashanti, which has the second-highest confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country, was allotted about 200,000 doses of the vaccine, a third of the 600,000 doses recently received by the government.

Mr Assibey-Antwi, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), on the sidelines of the programme, said the involvement of the key personalities would help erase public misconception about the vaccines.

“COVID-19 has come to stay with us, therefore, it is appropriate for us to get vaccinated to stay healthy,” he observed.

The Mayor bemoaned the devastating effects of the pandemic not only on the health of the people but the socio-economic lives of Ghanaians, saying “all must accept to be vaccinated.”

Dr Emmanuel Tenkorang, the Regional Director of Health, giving a situational analysis of COVID-19 cases in the Region, said more than 14, 000 confirmed cases were recorded with 192 deaths.

He advised those who would be vaccinated to observe the safety protocols.