By Lily Aba yaa Lartey

The Ghana Health Service from today is said to vaccinate more than 177,000 people with the single dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines in two hotspot regions in Ghana.

According to them, the vaccination programme will be held in about 123 centres in Greater Accra and Kumasi. They said, those eligible to take the vaccination are persons between 18 years and above with the exception of expectant mothers.

However, in an interview last Saturday with the Manager of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation, Dr Kwame Amponsa-Achiano, said the vaccines will be produced in 11 districts of the two hotspot region. He again emphasized that, the vaccines will be administered strictly to those who had not taken any COVID-19 vaccines at all because it is not medically advisable to mix vaccines for COVID-19. He therefore edged all to take along any National Identification card when going for the vaccines.

“This is for those who have not taken any vaccines. Take along any national identity card,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Health Service has therefore said that, they will give preference to people aged 60 years and above and those with underlying health conditions.

The exercise is however expected to end in August 20 this year.

A week ago, the government received 177,600 doses of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines procured under the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT), a purchasing facility instituted by the African Union (AU) to boost the continent’s access to COVID-19 vaccines on the global market.