7, 870 children receive 1st Pfizer COVID-19 jab

Minors from 15 to 17 are embracing the vaccination exercise

GHS targets vaccinating 30,000 minors by end of 2021

Ghanaians should vaccinate ahead of the festive season

About 7,870 children between 14 and 18 have taken their first Pfizer COVID-19 jab in the Greater Accra region, as part of government’s efforts to prevent further spread of the infection, Ghanaian times reports.

The Regional Director of Health, Dr. Charity Sarpong, in an interview with the Ghanaian times said, about 581 schools across the 29 districts of the region had been captured so far under the vaccination exercise which begun on Sunday, November 22, 2021.

The Ghana Health Service has authorisation from the Food and Drugs Authority to extend the age limit for administering vaccines to 15, the report further stated.

The initial vaccination plan was to cover persons from age 18 and above with pregnant women being an exception.

Dr. Charity Sarpong said children who are currently out of school including street children will be roped into the exercise as the Service deploys different strategies to get them vaccinated.

“We have head porters (kayayie), hawkers, street children and others within that age bracket which we are targeting, so we are working with community leaders, adolescent clubs, visiting the market leaders, engaging with leadership of the association among others, to get these target groups vaccinated,” she is quoted to have said.

According to the Ghanaian times newspaper, Dr. Sarpong said the region was targeting to reach at least 30,000 minors by the end of the year. She also added that, with the availability of vaccines in the country, it was likely to exceed the mark.

“The acceptance of the vaccines by those 15 to 17 years has been very encouraging. They are very willing to accept the vaccines and as and when we receive more vaccines, we will continue to deploy them to ensure everyone is protected from the virus.

We encourage the general public to take advantage of the availability of vaccines across the board and ensure that they get vaccinated before Christmas festivities set in,” she further stated.