Shortage of Johnson and Johnson vaccines hits Kpone Katamanso

The Kpone-Katamanso Municipal Health Directorate has run out of Johnson and Johnson vaccines delivered for the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination exercise.

The Municipal Health Directorate was supplied with 9,007 doses of the Johnson and Johnson vaccination but three-days into the exercise it has runout; Dr. Esther Priscilla Biamah-Danquah, Municipal Health Director told the Ghana News Agency in Kpone on Thursday.

She attributed the shortage to the large public interest in taking the jab, therefore “we have made a request for additional 1,000 doses of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine”.

Dr Biamah-Danquah appealed to the residents to exercise some restraints as all efforts have been ignited to get more vaccination.

She mentioned that the various vaccination centers would receive another batch of the Johnson and Johnson vaccines today to continue with the exercise.

Dr Biamah-Danquah was, however, skeptical if the days would be extended, and encouraged residents who are yet to take the vaccination to get vaccinated to protect them against the deadly COVID-19 pandemic as the third wave kept causing havoc in the country.

During a tour of the Kpone-Katamanso vaccination center, the Ghana News Agency observed that the shortage had slowed down the process at the various centers doted across the municipality.

On the first day of the exercise, the Municipal Health Directorate disclosed that about 9,700 people were expected to take the Johnson and Johnson vaccination in the Kpone-Katamanso municipality, which aimed at fighting against the spread of the virus.

Dr. Biamah-Danquah said 78 Health Officials have been deployed to the various designated locations to administer the jabs to residents.

She explained that the municipality had taken delivery of about 9,007 vaccines for the five-day exercise.

The exercise is ongoing in about 10 designated locations, which included: Kpone Polyclinic, Zenu Health Center, Katamanso Health Center,
Apollonia Health Center, 1MRS MICHEL Camp, New Crystal Hospital, Oyibi Health Center, Valley View University Hospital, and Gbetsile Clinic.

Meanwhile, Mr Solomon Tettey Appiah, Metropolitan Chief Executive of the Kpone-Katamanso Municipal Assembly continue to mobilize the resident to participate in the exercise.

Mr. Appiah told the Ghana News Agency in Kpone that, the exercise served as key component in the fight against COVID-19, “we must encourage everyone who qualifies to participate for our collective interest”.

He, however, cautioned those who participated in the first vaccine not to attempt to take this jab as they are already protected from the first vaccine.

The Kpone-Katamanso MCE also encouraged the residents to continue to adhere to all the COVID-19 protocols as taking the jab is not a certificate to stop using the nose mask, washing of hands under running water, regular usage of the hand sanitizer, and other preventive measures.