We’re resolving challenges with verification of COVID-19 vaccination status – says GHS

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) says it has taken steps to rectify challenges with the verification of the vaccination status of persons who have received their COVID-19 jabs.

The health management body says it admits the difficulties of some vaccinated individuals, particularly those travelling outside the country, to have their vaccination status either proven online or as a result of challenges with the barcode of their vaccine cards.

A registered hologram [metallic peel with security features] was placed on the vaccination card of persons who have fully been administered with the COVID–19 vaccines, and a barcode as proof of vaccination and for verification purposes.

The data validation process has however been hit with technical challenges

But the GHS says it has begun taking steps to update “records of all fully vaccinated individuals to enable ease of verification”.

“The Service has however taken notice of the inability of some vaccinated individuals, especially those travelling outside, to verify their proof of vaccination using the Bardcode (QR code) at the back of their COVID-19 vaccination cards or via the COVID-19 vaccination portal”, the GHS said in a statement.

Interim measures

In the meantime, the GHS says it has set up a desk at the Kotoka International Airport for verification of vaccination status.

Fully vaccinated outbound travellers departing from the airport have also been asked to contact the vaccination verification desk of the Port Health Unit at the Departure Hall to verify their status prior to departure.

For now, other fully vaccinated individuals desirous of checking their vaccination status have been directed to visit the nearest health facility of the District Health Directorate for the needed assistance.

Access to vaccines

Aside from this, the government is struggling to access vaccines to meet its target of vaccinating 20 million Ghanaians by the end of the year.

Concerns have been raised over the government's failure to vary its vaccination strategy in the wake of a spike in COVID-19 cases in the country.

After the first phase of the vaccination exercise, there are those who are yet to receive their second jab of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Nevertheless, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has assured that the country will soon resume its vaccination programme.

The Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman Manu, has also said the government is considering moves to revise Ghana's COVID-19 vaccination deployment strategy in view of the spread of the delta variant.

---citinewsroom