Ghana’s National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, has urged Muslims across the country to avail themselves of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The Chief Imam made the comments when he took the COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday, 3 March 2021 at Fadama in Accra.

According to the Chief Imam, the vaccine is God’s solution to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Chief Imam took the vaccine together with his two wives and other Islamic leaders.

He said: “This vaccine is God's mercy to mankind and a solution to this pandemic, which has affected humanity.”

He added: “Let us all cooperate and take this vaccine so that together, we can help eradicate this disease by the grace of Allah.”

Ghana's mass vaccination exercise against the deadly virus began on Tuesday, 2 March 2021.

Some 600,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines arrived in the country last week for the vaccination exercise.

The exercise is taking place in 43 districts with high infection rates.

They include 25 in the Greater Accra Region, 16 in the Ashanti Region, and two in the Central Region.

The first batch of people to be vaccinated include healthcare workers, frontline security personnel, persons with underlying medical conditions, persons 60 years and above, and frontline members of the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary.