The Minister-designate for Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu has said that the government does not know the specific date the country will have its first batch of COVID-19 vaccines.
According to Mr Agyeman-Manu, the vaccines are expected to arrive in the country between February and March, but the specific date has not been indicated.
“Indications that we have- those of us working in trying to get the vaccines- is between mid-February and early March. As for the specific date, we are receiving any vaccine, we still do not have any indication.
“In spite of President’s efforts in talking to top [management] people in UNICEF, government bilateral levels, diplomatic high levels, etc., there is not a single indication of a date. All they are saying is this period,” he told the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Wednesday, February 10, 2020, during his vetting.
Meanwhile, the steps required in the acquisition of the vaccines, according to him, have all been done.
“We have done all the necessary registrations, orders and quantification. We have developed our strategy to completely finalise but even because of the date, as to the particular date that we will start the mobilisation, we don’t have that. All we are doing is preparedness so that if it comes even tomorrow morning, we can get them.”
Having said that, he blames the spread of the virus on the non-compliance of Ghanaians to the COVID-19 protocols.