The Government of Ghana through the COVID-19 National Trust Fund is funding an 18-month research to be conducted by the Noguchi Memorial Institute, into the effect of COVID-19 vaccines on Ghanaians.

At a brief ceremony to sign the GH¢ 2,274,000 contract at the Secretariat of the Trust Fund in the Jubilee House, Accra, on Tuesday August 09, 2022, The Administrator of the Trust Fund expressed confidence that the research, which will determine the durability of immune responses elicited by three different vaccines—AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and BioNTech—will produce the necessary results to effectively contribute to the development of locally produced antiviral treatments.

The research will also include measuring and comparing immune responses in relation to individuals who received the three vaccines, as well as determine the level of vaccine-mediated protection.

Dr. William Collins Asare, the fund’s administrator, who signed the agreement on behalf the Fund, stated his delight at the collaboration and the fact that the fund is helping the Institute carry out this study that would have an impact on the people of Ghana. He added that the Trust Fund was certain that the Institute “will be able to adhere to the provisions in the agreement and complete the research in 18 months,” Dr Asare said.

Prof. Dorothy Yeboah-Manu, the Director of the Noguchi Memorial Institute, thanked the fund Administrator for the support, adding that the money would significantly support the institute in its research work. She also mentioned that the study had come at a good time as it would among other things, help to direct policy decisions.

Prof. Yeboah-Manu also assured the Administrator and the Trust Fund that the Institute will be able to adhere to the provisions in the agreement and complete the research within the agreed time.

The research is expected to help obtain vital information to support the health system and inform policy on which vaccines the nation needs to prioritize for procurement and utilization. The outcome will also help determine the frequency of booster shots which may be necessary to maintain immunity against the virus over time and also inform policy at the national level.