The North East Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has targeted to vaccinate a total number of 40,885 persons representing 13 percent of those eligible for vaccination as part of the nationwide exercise to vaccinate the populace against the coronavirus pandemic.
The Regional Director of GHS, Dr Abukari Abdulai on Friday (April 22, 2022) announced a vigorous outreach programme is set to get as many people as practicable vaccinated during the campaign.
The North East Region has received AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine 15,400 doses, Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine 40,452 and Jansen and Jansen COVID-19 vaccine 16,800 totaling 72,652 doses for the exercise.
Therefore, Dr Abdulai stated the GHS has would embark on a door-to-door campaigns at the community level, market places, mosques, churches and bus terminals as part of its strategy to get as many people as practicable vaccinated.
“As a region we have a target of 40,885 representing 13% of all eligible persons requiring at least one dose for this exercise. We are therefore using the campaign period to attempt at vaccinating all eligible population and they include persons yet to receive a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, a person due for a second dose or a person due for a booster.”
According to Dr Abdulai, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic two years ago, the North East Region has recorded a total of 384 cases with 11 deaths. He disclosed the last case we recorded in the region was on February 2, 2022.
However there is no active case on admission anywhere across the seven municipal and district assemblies in the region.
The North East Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service gave out the data whilst addressing journalists and the Regional Public Health Emergency Management Committee on the status of the pandemic in the region.
Easing Restrictions
Dr Abukari Abdulai said although some significant gains has been made in the fight against the pandemic, he warned the virus is still a threat.
“The restrictions have been eased and fortunately too we have sufficient quantities of vaccine against it. So, I would like to once again make a passionate appeal to all our community members who have not yet taken the vaccine to get vaccinated” he appealed.
Dr Abdulai said widespread rumors and misinformation are still leading the hesitancy and outright refusals which poses a huge a challenge towards the uptake of the vaccine especially among critical population groups, community influencers, professional groups, segments of the general population.
“The vaccine is free and protective. So, let’s make it our civic duty and responsibility to get vaccinated as well as advocate for the vaccination of all our love ones who are eligible.”
