On Sunday February 28, President Akufo Addo in his 24th address on measures taken against the spread of Covid-19 in Ghana, named the four groups that will be vaccinated at each particular time.
According to Akufo Addo, “our population has been segmented into four groups, and this will determine which section of the population gets vaccinated at a particular time.”
Groups to receive Covid-19 Vaccine
Group 1: “persons most at risk and frontline State officials”.
According to Akufo Addo, this group will include:
- healthcare workers,
- frontline security personnel,
- persons with underlying medical conditions, persons 60 years and above,
- and frontline members of the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary.
Group 2: “other essential service providers and the rest of the security agencies.”
This include:
- water and electricity supply services,
- teachers and students,
- supply and distribution of fuels,
- farmers and food value chain, telecommunications services,
- air traffic and civil aviation control services, meteorological services,
- air transport services,
- waste management services,
- media,
- public and private commercial transport services, the Police Service,
- Armed Forces,
- Prisons Service,
- Immigration Service,
- National Fire Service,
- CEPS Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, and other members of the Executive, Judiciary, and Legislature.
Group 3: “all persons over 18 years, except for pregnant women.”
The third group is targeted at the rest of the general public with a focus on all persons above 18 years except for pregnant women
Group 4: “pregnant mothers and persons under the age of 18”
Pregnant mothers and persons under the age of 18, are in the last category of population vaccine segmentation. According to Akufo Addo, to ensure the safety of pregnant mothers and persons under 18, enough safety data on the present vaccines will be conducted to ensure their safe use on this group. Also, when an appropriate vaccine is found, members of this group will be vaccinated.
Timeframe
The president said that from Tuesday, March 2, to Monday, March 15, the Ghana Health Service will begin deployment of the 600,000 AstraZeneca vaccines across 43 districts which are the epi-centres of the pandemic in the country. Out of the 43 districts, 25 are in Greater Accra, 16 in Ashanti, and 2 in the Central Region.
Clearing doubt
Manny Ghanaians have expressed doubt over the efficacy of the vaccine. Some believe the vaccine will alter our DNA and also, take out the African race.
President Akufo Addo, however, called for Ghanaians to clear all doubts and trust the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) as they will not certify the use of the vaccine “if it had any reservations about the safety of the vaccine.”
“This is far from the truth. 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.
“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. As your President, I want to assure you that the vaccine is safe,”he further said.
Leading by example and to prove the vaccine is safe for a rollout, President Akufo Addo stated that he together with his wife, the Vice President, the Second Lady and other public officials will take the vaccine today, Monday March 1, 2021.
“That is why tomorrow, on Monday, March 1, ahead of the commencement of the vaccination programme on Tuesday, March 2, my wife the First Lady, the Vice President, his wife the Second Lady, and I will take the vaccine publicly at two health facilities in Accra,” Akufo Addo said.
“Key public officials such as the Speaker and Members of Parliament, the Chief Justice and Justices of the Superior Court of Judicature, Chairperson and Members of the Council of State, the Chief of Staff and senior officials at the Office of the President, and prominent personalities like some Eminent Clergy, the National Chief Imam, the Asantehene, the Ga Mantse, and some media practitioners will also, on Tuesday, take the jab publicly. This is being done because the vaccine will help protect us against the impact of Covid-19 on our health. It is also a major catalyst to restoring livelihoods and the national economy to the robust level it belongs,” Akufo Addo further said.
Despite the introduction of the vaccine, President Akufo Addo called for all Ghanaians to adhere to all safety and health protocols.
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“Let us continue to wash our hands under running water, maintain social distancing, refrain from shaking hands and hugging, and, most importantly,wear our masks,” he said.
“We must remember that the virus continues to jeopardise our lives and livelihoods,” he further added.
