By Nathaniel Nartey
The Ghana Health Service is to roll out a programme to vaccinate teenagers against the COVID 19 virus. This was after the Food and Drugs Authority gave approval for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to be administered to children between 15 and 17 years. Until the approval, the vaccination plan only captured people 18 years and above. The Manager, Expanded Programme on Immunization at the Ghana Health Service, Dr Kwame Amponsah-Achiano told Yvonne Atilego that the Ghana Health Service will liaise with the various Parent Teacher Associations, PTAs for the process since the persons involved are minors.
“Just last week we got emergency authorization from the FDA having reviewed all the available data and that is how we are able to do this, it is likely that with time when all the trial data have been available we may extend it even, below that but for now it is 15years and above”.
”It’s the same thing for adults. It depends on the vaccine for now, for now, it’s just Pfizer, it is given in a two dose schedule so they are also going to take two doses and it is not different from the same doses we have given already. That has always been the case in terms of absence from the parents so some schools will require that they liaise with the Parents Teacher Association and so on. So if the parents will not allow you are free to opt out”, according to the Manager, Expanded Programme on Immunization at Ghana Health Service, Dr. Kwame Amponsah-Achiano.
