There is mad-rush for the Johnson and Johnson vaccine in the Ashanti region as the exercise winds up.

Long winding queues have characterized the exercise which officially ends today.

The situation is the opposite of how it began last Friday in four hotspot districts within the region.

These districts contribute at least 60 per cent of weekly infections of Covid-19 in the Ashanti region.

But residents of Kumasi Metro, Asokwa, Oforikrom and Kwadaso Municipalities have had to endure several hours of waiting to get their jabs due to the long winding queues, some extending as far away as 2 kilometers from the vaccination centres.

Among the centers noted for the long queues, is the Kumasi Clinic center.

Over 30,000 people have been vaccinated so far, with over 15,000 doses yet to be administered.

“The weekend was very calm but from Monday, it’s been a bit turbulent in terms of the numbers turning up. And since the message has been out there that we are going to run out of vaccines, we expect such clamour,” Deputy Director in charge of Public of Health, Ashanti region, Dr. Rockson Michael Agyei told Joy News.

According to Dr. Rockson Michael Agyei, the health directorate is compelled to extend the deadline for the exercise till the vaccines are exhausted.

He revealed there are about 20,000 doses of the Johnson and Jonson vaccine available to be administered in few days.

“From all the centers, we have always had people queuing up for the vaccines and that’s why we are going to extend it a bit so far as we have vaccines.”

Among those in the queue are people who are not from any of the affected districts, a situation health authorities are not enthused about.

One Atimatim-Maase from Afigya Kwabre South district, said he is taking advantage of the exercise though his district is not covered.