The Director of Public Health at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), has hinted that pregnant women and children below 16 years will be exempted from the Covid-19 vaccination exercise.

Dr Franklin Aseidu-Bekoe explained that the vaccine in its nature is not suitable for the use of pregnant women and children below 16 years.

Speaking on Newsfile, Saturday, he indicated that although the idea was to vaccinate every Ghanaian against the virus, “the challenge is that currently the available vaccines are not used for pregnant women and children below 16 years.”

President Akufo-Addo had, in his national address on measures to deal with the virus, indicated that the country is expected to receive its first consignment of the vaccines in March 2021.

Ghana is among 145 counties listed to receive vaccines from a number of suppliers through the COVAX Facility according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The latest update on the UN-led COVAX Facility, of which Ghana is a participant has revealed that the country is earmarked to take delivery of 2.4 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine which is licensed to the Serum Institute of India (AZ/SII).

Dr Breko in his submission revealed that out of the total population of Ghanaians, 20 million citizens are expected to be vaccinated.

With the current exemption of youngsters below 16 years and pregnant women, he believes that almost the entire populace might receive the Covid-19 vaccine.

“If you look at the population of Ghana is about 30 million and we are going to vaccinate 20 million people…and currently no one is vaccinating people below 16 years and pregnant women so if you look at it, with Ghana’s approach is even looking at the whole of the available population that can be vaccinated.”

The Director of Public Health, GHS said the first Covid-19 vaccine consignment to be received would be an injectable double dose vaccine.

He added that three weeks after a person has received the first dose, the second dose would be administered.

Meanwhile, Ghana has recorded 790 new cases and a total number of 7,509 active cases with a death toll of 505. Nonetheless, the number of Recoveries/Discharge cases stands at 66,333.