The 600,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine that arrived in Ghana on 25th February 2021 will expire at the end of June, Director, Public Health Division at the Ghana Health Service, Dr Franklin Asiedu Bekoe, has said.
“The vaccines will expire at the end of June and so we have the next three or four months before it expires and so there is no cause to worry,” he allayed fears.
He made this known at ‘the vaccine conversation’ programme hosted by Adom TV to discuss the myths and fears about Covid-19 vaccinations on Thursday.
The Government of Ghana has received 600,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines as part of efforts to vaccinate about 20 million citizens.
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The earliest indication of a vaccine arriving in the country was estimated to be in late March and this was supposed to be a consignment purchased by the Ghana government.
However, the nation now has the opportunity to commence its coronavirus vaccination exercise ahead of the initial plan with credit to the multilateral pact known as COVAX, a global equitable vaccine alliance led by the World Health Organisation.
Speaking at the programme, Dr Asiedu Bekoe said since the virus is new, Ghana has decided to use eight weeks intervals as far as vaccination is concerned.
“From the beginning, we heard that a person needs three to four weeks but since this virus is new, we have decided to spread it between eight to 12 weeks and so for Ghana, we are doing eight weeks intervals, and so after your first vaccination, you have eight weeks to do another one,” he said.
Dr Bekoe also said the vaccine is important because it boosts one’s immunity.
He also refuted claims that the vaccines when injected will change one’s gene.
