The Danish Ambassador to Ghana, Tom Norring, says it was unacceptable to lose any more lives in Ghana to COVID-19 when there were sufficient vaccines in the country.
He has thus urged members of the public who are yet to take their COVID-19 jabs to do so as a matter of urgency, especially as the Christmas festivities drew close to avert deaths related to the disease and a possible fourth wave.
Mr Norring was speaking at the donation of additional 2.5 million doses of Johnson and Johnson (J&J) vaccines through the COVAX facility to government yesterday.
The vaccines, jointly donated with the United States government under the COVAX facility, were received by officials of the Ministry of Health (MOH), UNICEF and representatives from the US and Denmark Embassies at the Kotoka International Airport.
“Only two weeks ago, the Denmark Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, paid an official visit to Ghana and strongly stressed the importance of global vaccine collaboration to manage COVID-19 and what we see today, is Denmark’s commitment to vaccine solidarity,” the Ambassador said.
According to him, Denmark had so far allocated close to 2.1 million vaccines to Ghana as part of an overall pledge to donate 10 million vaccines to countries worldwide in the fight against the pandemic.
“Earlier this year, Denmark doubled its COVID-19 vaccine contribution to developing countries, ensuring that a minimum of one vaccine dose was donated by every Dane. Last week, the overall pledge was increased by an additional 3.7 million doses, recognising the importance of vaccines in the fight against the current surge in COVID-19 infections across the world,” he stated.
Mr Norring pledged the Danish government’s support to ongoing vaccination efforts in Ghana saying; “the entire world will remain exposed to new virus outbreaks until the most vulnerable population groups and health systems are protected.”
The U.S. Ambassador, Stephanie Sullivan, said about 5.2 million vaccines have been donated by the US to Ghana since September, 2021, and availability of vaccines in the country should encourage all to take their jabs.
“Now is the time for Ghanaians to get their jabs. The vaccines donated on behalf of the people of America are the same safe and effective vaccines used in the United States.
“We can beat this pandemic together but it starts with each eligible person getting their jab,” she said.
Ghana has so far vaccinated about 5.7 million of its population out of a targeted 20 million by the end of the year.
Currently, the virus is active in 692 people although 1,228 have died so far of the disease.
Nonetheless, the government has declared December a vaccination month to vaccinate at least five million more people before the end of the year to increase efforts at achieving herd immunity in the country.