The Ghana Health Service has administered a total of 426,299 doses of Covid-19 vaccines in the North East Region.
According to Dr Abukari Abdulai, the North East Regional Director of GHS, the region took delivery of 486,915 doses of all types of Covid-19 vaccines expect Sputnik-V and successfully administered 232,010 doses of AstraZeneca, 12,698 doses of Moderna, 143,385 doses of Pfizer BioNTech and 198,825 doses of Jansen & Jansen totaling 426,299 doses.
He stated this therefore brings the percentage of all eligible persons who have so far taken at least one dose to 58.1%.
In addition, Dr Abdulai said the percentage of eligible population who are fully vaccinated in the North East Region stands at 50.6% and thus the highest in the country among all the 16 regions.
He further gave a district by district breakdown of the vaccinated population with the West Mamprusi Municipality having the highest number of 62.8 percent, Bunkpurugu-Nakpanduri District 41.2 percent, Chereponi District 45.7 percent, East Mamprusi Municipal 49.6 percent, Mamprugu-Moagduri District 43.6 percent and the Yunyoo-Nasuan District with 48.5 percent.
The North East Regional Director gave out the data in an address presented during a meeting with Members of the Public Health Emergency Committee and the Media prior to the commencement of the fourth National Vaccination Exercise on Friday (June 24, 2022) at Nalerigu.
Active Cases
Dr Abukari Abdulai however indicated that, presently, four positive cases of Covid-19 have been reported in the North East Region.
“Since the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic 2 years ago, the North East Region has recorded a total of 388 cases with 11 deaths. And so COVID-19 is right with us here in the North East Region. It is not gone and I would like to indicate that we currently have 4 active cases in the region” he said.
Appeal
Meanwhile, the GHS Regional Director has appealed to residents across the six districts in the region to get vaccinated, saying the vaccines are 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. 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. The vaccine is free and protective.”
Vaccine hesitancy
Dr Abdulai has bemoaned there are still widespread rumors, misinformation and disinformation leading to the vaccine hesitancy and sometimes outright refusals in the area, stating 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.
He has implored stakeholders in the area to be ambassadors towards preventing vaccine hesitancy and work hard to ensure the region meets the national target.
