The Ghana Health Service (GHS) on Friday started a mass administration of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to persons aged 18 years and above.

The exercise begins today September 24 in the Greater Accra Region and on Monday September 27 in the remaining 15 regions.

The exercise which is expected to begin fully in all parts of the country by Monday September 27 is for all persons who are yet to receive their second dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and persons who have not been vaccinated.

Dr Franklin Asiedu-Boeko, Director of Public Health, GHS, told the Ghana News Agency, that large quantities of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine had been deployed to all parts of the country.

He reiterated that the ongoing exercise is not for selected persons in selected districts like the previous ones.

Dr Asiedu-Boeko said the ongoing exercise would be done at existing vaccination centres and expanded to lorry stations, churches, markets to reach more people.

The Public Health Director said the Service hoped to vaccinate over two million people in the next few months.

"We have a reasonable number of vaccines, the idea is to administer those that will expire between November 2021 and January 2022," he said.

Dr Asiedu-Boeko said vaccinators in all regions have been trained on how to administer all types of COVID-19 vaccines available for use in the country.

He encouraged Ghanaians to go to the vaccination centres to receive their jabs, stating that all persons must take along a valid Photo identity card when visiting any designated centre.

He said persons who would be taking their second dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 should go to the centres with identity cards presented for the 1st dose as well as their COVID-19 vaccination card.

Dr Charity Sarpong, Greater Accra Regional Health Director, said the regional health directorate had received a total of 182,187 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 to be administered to all persons aged 18 years and above in all 29 districts in Accra from today September 24 to Wednesday September 29.

In March 2021, Ghana started the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines beginning with AstraZeneca.

Presently, over one million persons have received at least one dose of AstraZeneca, Sputnik-V or Johnson & Johnsonvaccine with nearly 800,000 of them being fully vaccinated.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Health Service in a press release signed by Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, Director General of the Service, has entreated the public to continue to adhere to all COVID-19 protocols such as the appropriate wearing of face masks, maintaining hand hygiene and physical distancing amidst the ongoing exercise.

The Service in its statement assured the public that the country was not relenting on its efforts to acquire additional vaccines to control the COVID-19 epidemic.