The Director for Public Well being on the Ghana Well being Service, Dr Franklin Aseidu-Bekoe, emphasised the significance of Ghanaians adhering to COVID-19 prevention protocols and defending themselves in opposition to the virus till the nation reaches herd immunity.
In an interview with the Ghana Information Company (GNA), he highlighted that whereas the World Well being Group (WHO) now not thought-about COVID-19 a worldwide well being emergency, international locations with low inhabitants immunity nonetheless confronted dangers.
In keeping with scientists and medical consultants, at the least 94 % of the inhabitants should be vaccinated and resistant to successfully break the chain of coronavirus transmission.
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In Ghana, information from the Ghana Well being Service (GHS) COVID-19 Replace web site revealed that as of April 30 this yr, roughly 11 million folks, equal to 57 % of the nation’s goal of 18.2 million, had acquired full vaccination.
The information additional indicated that solely 32.9 % of the entire focused inhabitants of people aged 18 and above had been absolutely vaccinated.
The web site reported that in the identical interval, a complete of 24,941,992 doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered, with round 14 million folks (74.2 % of the goal) having acquired their first dose.
To reinforce inhabitants immunity, the GHS deliberate to launch one other mass vaccination marketing campaign in July and develop a COVID-19 Vaccination Integration Plan, which might combine COVID-19 vaccination into routine immunization applications.
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Dr Asiedu-Bekoe highlighted that this strategy would allow anybody to obtain a COVID-19 vaccine at healthcare services.
The Director for Public Well being inspired unvaccinated people to get vaccinated and those that had already acquired the vaccine to think about booster photographs.
He famous that though Ghana was nonetheless reporting COVID-19 circumstances, the severity had decreased. Attaining herd immunity would mitigate the impression of the virus and rework it right into a milder illness.
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Herd immunity, often known as “inhabitants immunity,” is the oblique safety in opposition to an infectious illness when a inhabitants is immune both by way of vaccination or earlier an infection, in line with the WHO.
The WHO emphasised attaining herd immunity by way of vaccination fairly than permitting the illness to unfold among the many inhabitants, as it will lead to pointless circumstances and fatalities.
The WHO acknowledged that to soundly obtain herd immunity in opposition to COVID-19, a big proportion of the inhabitants wanted to be vaccinated, lowering the general unfold of the virus.
It additional highlighted that one of many targets of herd immunity was to safeguard weak teams unable to obtain vaccinations attributable to well being circumstances.
The required proportion of immune people to realize herd immunity varies for every illness. As an example, measles requires round 95 % vaccination protection, whereas polio necessitates roughly 80 %.
President Akufo-Addo, in his twenty ninth tackle to the nation relating to COVID-19 measures, echoed the WHO’s announcement that the illness was now not a worldwide public well being emergency.
He expressed the alleviation of restrictions and inspired interpersonal interactions. Dr Asiedu-Bekoe added that this shift in focus meant the nation would prioritize incorporating COVID-19 remedy into present healthcare methods as an alternative of solely counting on emergency funds.
He urged Ghanaians to proceed training preventive measures reminiscent of common handwashing with cleaning soap, carrying masks in poorly ventilated areas, and sustaining consciousness about COVID-19.
The report acquired technical help from the Middle for Science and Well being Communication (CSHC) and funding from the Nationwide Analysis Basis in South Africa.
