Persons who really need the COVID-19 vaccines may not be prioritized - Dr Omane Boamah

Former Communications Minister, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, has lamented the unfairness that may arise in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.

He bemoaned that, persons with underlying conditions who qualify for the vaccination may be not be prioritized in the selection process.

"For example, I was shocked to the marrow when I read Ghanaians with “underlying health conditions and the aged” will not be vaccinated against the novel Coronavirus, SARS-CoV2.

Mr. President, are they not within the domain of prioritized people in the United States of America?

Why must mother Ghana deprive people with underlying medical conditions and the aged protection if there are no contraindications (i.e. medical reasons not to give the vaccine)?"

He considered the situation very worrying to Ghana's fight against the pandemic.

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President Akufo-Addo revealed last week that government is set to procure over 17 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine by the end of June.

The President said the government is hopeful of procuring a total of 17,600,000 vaccine doses by the end of June.

Akufo-Addo made this known when he delivered his 23rd COVID-19 national address on Sunday, January 31, 2021.

He further disclosed that the first batch of the vaccines are expected to arrive in the country by March.

In a letter addressed to the President, Dr. Omane Boamah called on the government to publish the Vaccine Plan.

He also urged government to prioritise the aged and persons with underlying health conditions when administering the COVID-19 vaccines.

Read full statement below

GHANA, LET US AVOID ANY FURTHER ERRORS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19.

Good morning Mr. President,

Trust you are all doing very well. Over the past two weeks, I have been requesting Government to publish the Vaccine Plan without joy. Mr. President, this is a worrying sign.

It is worrying because citizens who qualify to have the vaccine may be selected against. It is also worrying because it deprives interested parties (doctors, nurses, pharmacists, public health and policy experts, journalists and Civil Society Organisations) the opportunity to make inputs, ask vital questions and institute monitoring and evaluation systems to guide the process if they wish to do so.

For example, I was shocked to the marrow when I read Ghanaians with “underlying health conditions and the aged” will not be vaccinated against the novel Coronavirus, SARS-CoV2.

Mr. President, are they not within the domain of prioritized people in the United States of America?

Why must mother Ghana deprive people with underlying medical conditions and the aged protection if there are no contraindications (i.e. medical reasons not to give the vaccine)?

Respectfully, have we not heard time and again from you and other government officials that comorbidities contribute to COVID induced deaths? More questions than answers.

I have respect for the knowledge of Dr. Doodoo who is said to have made this shocking statement. I hope he has been misrepresented. I hope this is not Government policy.

Already too many mistakes have been made in the collective fight against COVID-19. GHANA, LET US AVOID ANY FURTHER ERRORS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19.

Mr. President, these are the reasons we need to have the Vaccine Plan published in the interest of transparency and equity as we prepare to vaccinate Ghanaians against COVID-19.

Thank you.

Dr. Edward Kofi Omane Boamah

Medical Doctor & Health Policy Planning and Financing Analyst

In a letter to the President,