The Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu has taken the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine to pave way for mass vaccination against Covid-19 in the Ashanti Region.

The King of the Asante Kingdom and his wife, Lady Julia received jabs of the vaccine at the Manhyia Palace to signify the commencement of the vaccination exercise in the Region.

Other prominent Chiefs who witnessed the ceremony also took turns to receive the vaccine.

An estimated 140,000 people are expected to be vaccinated in the Greater Kumasi and Obuasi areas in the next two weeks, according to health authorities in the Region.

The brief ceremony was attended by key health officials, including Dr. Emmanuel Tinkorang, the Regional Director of Health Services and Dr. Frank Ankobea, President of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA).

The vaccination of Otumfuo and other prominent personalities in the country forms part of strategies to demonstrate that the vaccine was safe and also encourage the larger population to embrace the exercise.

A similar exercise was later conducted at the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) where senior government officials were vaccinated.

Dr Tinkorang commended Otumfuo and his family for showing the way for the public to follow.

He said the vaccination of the revered King of Asanteman and President Akufo-Addo were enough testimony that the vaccines were safe and encouraged the public to follow suit.