Full List Of Categories Of Persons To Be Affected By Mandatory Vaccination Policy Next Month

As part of government’s efforts to halt the spread of COVID-19 in the country, a mandatory vaccination policy is set to be implemented next month (January 2022) for some groups of persons.

According to the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Patrick Kumah-Aboagye, the date for mandatory vaccination policy to begin will be announced soon by the Minister for Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu.

Speaking at a Press Briefing at the Ministry of Information on Thursday, December 16, 2021, Dr. Patrick Kumah-Aboagye explained that due to the nature of the jobs of some categories of persons, there is the need for them to be mandatorily vaccinated in order to be protected as they discharge their duties.

These categories of persons, Dr. Kumah-Aboagye announced are;

1. All Security Personnel
2. All Staff and Students in all tertiary and secondary schools
3. All government workers
4. Commercial drivers and
5. All health workers

“The effective date for that vaccination will be made by the Minister somewhere in January. Persons who are likely to be affected are all health workers who should be vaccinated. All security personnel should be vaccinated, all staff and students from tertiary and secondary schools should be vaccinated, all government workers are affected and all commercial drivers are affected and to encourage them that’s why we are providing vaccines,” the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service announced.

He further indicated that persons who will access public places such nightclubs, beaches, sports stadia, restaurants and government offices and hospitals will also need to show proof of full vaccination.  According to Dr. Aboagye, the vaccine mandate is necessary for the government to prevent the fourth wave in the country and protect the citizenry from coronavirus as the Christmas festivities draw near.

“There are other measures that we will use to avert the surge post-Christmas. We are encouraging all persons who intend to access indoor events to get vaccinated, event organisers should encourage persons accessing such locations to get vaccinated and outdoor events in open-air spaces should be encouraged and such locations include sports stadia, football parks, outdoor events are all areas that we want to encourage,” he told the media.

He added that, “the capacity for indoor events must not go beyond twenty–five percent of the existing capacity of that facility to ensure social distancing and we have also made our teams ready that all those organising events should invite our team to come and assist them in the setting up to ensure that the place is safe.”