A total of 56 percent of the eligible population in the Western Region are yet to take their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
Currently, 43 percent of the eligible population have received a single dose with 27 percent being fully vaccinated. Only 3.1 percent have received a booster.
According to the Public Health Department of the regional directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), many reasons – including the erroneous perception that Covid-19 is no more – are accounting for the vaccine hesitancy and resistance.
Nonetheless, the health directorate has resolved to increase the percentage of the eligible population who are fully vaccinated.
The Public Health Department is using the next five days to attempt to get 13 percent of the eligible population vaccinated.
“These 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,” regional Deputy Director of Public Health Dr. Gifty Amugi told Connect FM.
She explained that the second Covid-19 vaccination exercise is premised on the urgent need not to “let our guards down because cases are declining, we are still not out of the woods yet”.
“Thankfully, as a nation and region, we have seen significant decline in the number of active Covid-19 cases. That is good news. But that also means that this is the time for us to enhance our protection against the virus.”
According to her, achieving herd immunity will mean that a significant percentage of the eligible population will have to be fully vaccinated.
“We need collective protection… And so, we need to enhance the uptake of the Covid-19 vaccine so that we will get the required levels of protection against the virus so that it will not matter the kind or number of variants of the virus that will come. We will still be protected.”
Dr. Gifty Amugi explained that the strategy, for the second round of vaccination, will be a vigorous outreach programme to get as many people as practicable vaccinated.
“So, we are using wide risk communication and also enhancing our education activities at all fronts in every community in all the districts in the [Western] Region. We will do door-to-door in every organization, market, churches, bus terminals. So, it will be a combination of mobile and static mode of administration. The target is 13 percent of the eligible population which will be a little over 149, 000”.
She indicated that the exercise will start on April 21 and will end on April 25.
By Eric Yaw Adjei|Connect FM|3news.com|Ghana