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Some health workers in the Upper West region awaiting their second injection of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine have expressed low confidence in the vaccine’s effectiveness due to the delay in receiving it.
On August 30, 2021, health authorities in the region began administering the second vaccine after a delay of about two more months due to difficulties the government faced in supplying the vaccine.
According to some health workers, this makes them doubt that the vaccine still protects them as it would have if they had taken it within the recommended eight to 12 weeks.
Some of the health workers, who spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) after receiving their second vaccine, said they only take it for fun because they doubt it will work.
Low confidence
Madam Patience Aduna, a nurse, noted that due to the delay, she now believes the chain has been broken because the vaccines process chains.
“Now we’re taking the second jab just for fun, because we don’t know if he can still complete the first,” she said.
Mr. Mumuni Yakubu, a retired health worker, said he knew vaccines had time frames in which they could work well, noting that if a particular vaccine’s time limit elapsed for a long time , the chain would break and the support of the second dose will have to be given to the first, will be compromised.
“So I’m doing it just for fun, because we doubt it will work,” he said.
Mr. Ambrose Kundisab, a lab technician, says it’s been about five months now since they took the first injection of the Covid-19 AstraZeneca vaccine.
“We weren’t even sure we got the second hit because – so for me it’s a probability because I don’t know if it will work the way it’s supposed to work,” he stressed.
Ms Patience Weltaa, a nurse who also expressed doubts, noted that ‘I thought it would no longer be effective as they gave us a time frame that went past two months – so I think the first one may have expired. now “.
“I decided to take the second vaccine because we are all health workers, and if it doesn’t work I don’t think they will give it,” she said.
Mr Sampson Abu, administrator of Wa Municipal Hospital, said he took the second vaccine just to meet everyone’s requirement to be vaccinated, but for the effectiveness of the vaccine, he thinks the chain is broken.
“So we’re doing it for fun – so if it works well for us and if it doesn’t, we can’t be blamed for not taking it,” he said.
Situation of Covid-19 in the Upper West
Meanwhile, the Upper West region currently has a total number of 607 confirmed cases, 73 active cases and 20 deaths, with the municipalities of Wa and Nandom contributing more to the total number of cases.
Allay fears
Dr Richard Wodah-Seme, Acting Regional Director of Public Health for Upper West, urged the public not to harbor concerns, adding that the time frame within which the second dose should have been taken was not yet outmoded.
“Even though we had promised and planned that it should be done within 12 weeks, if it goes beyond 12 weeks, it still doesn’t cause any concern,” he said.
“Because initially in our communication we were saying between eight to 12 weeks and now it goes beyond that and of course people should legitimately voice their concerns,” he added.
“But we want to allay their fears that it will still work, it will still confer the same immunity.” Again we are learning a lot more about this vaccine and as more evidence emerges we may be able to communicate the same, but for now we will be encouraging anyone who took the first dose to give it a try. to switch to the second dose “,
“These are legitimate fears that they arouse, but once we continue to explain to them, they will understand,” noted Dr Wodah-seme.
Meanwhile, on September 1, 2021, Dr. Damien Punguyire, Regional Director of Health Services for Upper West, received his second dose of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine and encouraged others waiting for the vaccine to do so. also.
“I took my second photo of the AstraZeneca brand of the Covid-19 vaccine earlier today, September 1, 2021,” he said.
Dr Punguyire, who said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Wa, noted that “It feels good to note that I am fully vaccinated and protected against the virus.”
The regional health director said that despite everything, he was not taking any risks regarding the virus.
“I will continue to mask myself, sanitize my hands, ensure social distancing and limit being in crowded and closed areas until new evidence proves it is safe to return to the hospital. ‘pre-pandemic social environment,’ he stressed.
Dr Punguyire also encouraged everyone to get vaccinated when the opportunity arises and furthermore to observe all proven public health and social measures, adding: “Vaccines Safe Lives !!! “.
Second jab exercise
The administration of the second jab became possible after the arrival of the 249,600 doses of the Covid-19 AstraZeneca vaccine under the auspices of the COVAX facility by the Government of the United Kingdom (UK).
Vaccines received by the region
Dr Wodah-Seme told the GNA that the region has received a total of 8,400 AstraZeneca dual-schedule vaccines and has started its administration to those who qualify for the second dose in the region.
He added that the region had also received a total of 700 single-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccines and are currently administering it to those who have not yet been vaccinated.
During this time, the region initially received a total of 10,000 AstraZeneca vaccines and was able to immunize a total of 9,783 people, including 217 representing 2.2% wasting.
According to the data, Wa Municipal received a total of 2,170 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine and has since vaccinated a total of 2,077 people, including health workers, some security service personnel and the media.
A total of 30 doses are still available and should be used to immunize members of the health committee.
A total of 63 doses representing 2.9 percent were also wasted.
Explaining what is meant by wasted, Dr Punguyire said that “one vial was meant for 10 people but could not be used up. The remaining doses are wasted after six hours ”.
“This usually happens in the evening where sometimes there are few people left to vaccinate and you have to open another vial because you cannot tell them to come and go the next day – in this case the number of doses leftovers cannot be stored until the next day, therefore, are wasted, ”he said.
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