Ghana receives first doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine have through COVAX

West African country, Ghana, has received the first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines through the World Health Organization’s (WHO) global vaccine-sharing programme.

A flight carrying 600,000 doses of the AstraZeneca-Oxford University vaccine arrived Wednesday in the capital, Accra, according to a joint statement from WHO and UNICEF, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund.

Pascal Soriot, Chief Executive Officer at AstraZeneca, in a statement said, “I am delighted that the first doses of the AstraZeneca (www.AstraZeneca.com) vaccine have been delivered to Ghana today through COVAX. This marks a major step forward in changing the course of the pandemic globally. From the start, we have committed to making our vaccine available to as many countries as possible and at no profit during the pandemic because no-one is safe until everyone is safe. This delivery is the first of many shipments of the AstraZeneca vaccine expected over the coming weeks and months via COVAX that will take us closer to ensuring broad and equitable access.”

The vaccines were manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, VOANews reports.

The vaccines sent to Ghana were purchased through the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility, or COVAX, an initiative launched by WHO in cooperation with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, an organization founded by philanthropists Bill and Melinda Gates to vaccinate children in the world’s poorest countries.