The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has indicated that it will in the coming weeks ramp-up its vaccination exercise that has so far seen some 1.4 million Ghanaians inoculated from the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
Announcing an enhanced vaccination programme at a press briefing put together by the Ministry of Information in Accra on Sunday, November 28, 2021, GHS Boss, Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye said with increasing availability of vaccines and reasonable number of vaccines in the pipeline, the GHS will scale up its vaccination exercise in line with government’s broader plan of vaccinating 20 million Ghanaians.
“We are declaring December as the month of vaccination. We have the exercise in two sections. There are proposed groups that will be covered under the mandate and the various venues where the vaccination will be carried out. We are looking at the three arms of government, all health workers, all security personnel will be covered, all staff and students in secondary and tertiary schools should be vaccinated, all government workers and commercial drivers together with their mates,” he said.
Dr. Aboagye bemoaned the low pace at which Ghanaians patronize the vaccination exercise, explaining that it informs why his outfit is introducing a vaccine mandate, an enhanced vaccination programme applicable from January 2022 to increase the number of people who turn up at vaccination centers to be vaccinated.
*Adhere strictly to COVID protocols ahead of Christmas holidays*
Dr. Aboagye reiterated the need for Ghanaians to comply strictly with the COVID-19 protocols as we approach the festive seasons. He said there is the need for strict compliance among the citizenry to avoid a further spike in coronavirus cases.
He indicated that the Ministry of Health and the GHS will also continue to implement the protocols on international travel as currently exists and ensure strict enforcement of the protocols at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) and all entry points as part of its COVID-19 plans to approach the festive season.
Part of this he said will be the increased surveillance and monitoring of new strains and persons returning from countries of concern.
