Ghana to receive world’s first doses of free Covax vaccines manufactured in India: UNICEF

Ghana on Wednesday will receive the world’s first doses of COVID-19 vaccines from Covax, AFP reported quoting the UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund). The African nation will receive the AstraZeneca/University of Oxford jab manufactured at India’s Serum Institute. 

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Covax is a global initiative backed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to procure and distribute vaccines to low and middle-income countries.

In a joint statement with the WHO, UNICEF said, “These 600,000 Covax vaccines are part of an initial tranche of deliveries of the AstraZeneca / Oxford vaccine licensed to the Serum Institute of India, which represent part of the first wave of Covid vaccines headed to several low and middle-income countries.”

The UN body has received the shipment from Mumbai, India.

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Covax has said that by the end of this year, it would globally deliver two billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines. 

Ghana has recorded 80,759 COVID-19 cases and 582 deaths. Frontline workers will receive the first doses. 

“In the days ahead, frontline workers will begin to receive vaccines,” UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said.

“The next phase in the fight against this disease can begin – the ramping up of the largest immunization campaign in history,” it added.