Deputy Health Minister, Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye has revealed that government has initiated moves to secure a Covid-19 vaccine so that clinical trials can commence in the country.

According to him, the President has put together a small team to see to the development of the vaccine as the country seems to be entering a second wave of Covid-19 infections.

So far, two United States drug makers, Pfizer and Moderna, have announced promising interim results for their vaccine candidates, raising hopes worldwide that the end of the pandemic may be in sight. 

Data released this week suggested the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine had 95% effectiveness and Moderna, 94.5% protection.

However, speaking on JoyNews’ The Probe, Dr. Okoe Boye says the President has encouraged the team to look locally for any vaccine being developed before looking outside the country and the continent as a whole.

He also added that considering the successes chalked by the two US drug makers, it was quite likely the country may end up teaming with them to develop and produce vaccines for Ghanaians as soon as possible.

“The president has put together some small team to see to the development of the vaccine even if it’s not in Ghana, maybe regionally or on the continent. He wants us to look within before rushing to look outside.

“And they’re also to look at vaccine development – because I know a country like India is also looking at development in partnership with the big ones like Pfizer and others.

“But bottom line is that we have a team that is looking at what is happening on the vaccine front whether we’re going to go with Pfizer or Moderna.”

He was optimistic that the introduction of the vaccine will reduce rate of hospitalisation and reduce mortality

"If you can reduce morbidity then you can reduce mortality because you target high-risk groups, give them the vaccines so that the chance of they dying is taken out.

“And so it’s an important chapter in the fight against the virus. And the good news is that once the vaccine is coming up we know that marks the beginning of the end for the pandemic.”