Ivory Coast, Ghana Start Vaccinating Medical Workers Against Coronavirus - WHO

The governments of Ghana and the Ivory Coast have launched campaigns to vaccinate health care workers against the novel coronavirus, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced in a news release on Monday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st March, 2021) The governments of Ghana and the Ivory Coast have launched campaigns to vaccinate health care workers against the novel coronavirus, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced in a news release on Monday.

"[T]he first COVID-19 vaccination campaigns in Africa using COVAX doses began today in Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire," the release said. "These campaigns are among the first to use doses provided by the COVAX Facility's Gavi COVAX Advanced Market Commitment (AMC)."

The campaigns in Ghana and the Ivory Coast come after vaccine deliveries were made to both countries last week of 600,000 doses and 504,000 doses, respectively. Both countries received the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine licensed and manufactured by the Serum Institute of India.

Ghana President Nana Akufo-Addo said in the release that the country welcomes the arrival of the first coronavirus vaccine doses through the COVAX AMC as a pathway to ending the acute phase of the pandemic.

"To maximise the public health benefit of the vaccine, the first doses will be prioritized for health and essential workers, and other at-risk group," Akufo-Addo said.

A further 11 million doses are expected to be delivered over the next seven days and the allocation of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine to 142 of COVAX participating economies to be delivered between now and the end of May is expected to take place on Tuesday, according to the release.