Government on Wednesday assured persons yet to receive the second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine not to despair as efforts are directed at procuring more vaccines.
As part of the arrangement to ensure a complete vaccination, persons who successfully received the first dose were expected to take the second dose in May to help boost their immunity and ensure maximum protection.
However, to date, some have still not received the vaccines, following some difficulty in procurement from abroad.
The Health Minister, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, addressing the media, said all hope is not lost, stressing that the country will be receiving some consignments between now and July.
“Those of us who have not had our second dose yet, there’s a lot of hope. We have an indication that is giving us hope for the very near future.
“We are expecting vaccines from the U.S; we’ve got a promise from the UK to try to help us to get our second dose to go through very quickly.”
Mr Agyemang-Manu also said the country’s performance of the vaccination has attracted a neighbouring country to understudy Ghana.
“I must say because of our performance; a sister country close here has actually sent a team to come and see how Ghana was managing our vaccination and how we were moving at that very fast pace. Cote d’Ivoire had visited to learn peer review from Ghana.”
According to him, the scientific data that claimed the second dose was only efficient if administered within 12 weeks has changed.
“Now they are telling us that even if we don’t get it between the eight to 12 weeks, we get even better protected if the life span between our first and second jab is a little bit expanded.
“So you shouldn’t get too worried; if you have the first dose and you haven’t gotten the second dose within the 12 weeks, you still going to be protected until we give you the second dose,” he stressed.
The Health Minister further assured that the vaccine, this time round will not delay.
“So there is hope and let me assure you that the government is working in all forms to find the vaccines to do the vaccination for those who haven’t had the second jab and then start with new vaccination for the first dose,” he said.