GHS Reacts To Routine Vaccines Shortage Reports

The Ghana Health Service (GHS), has reacted to reports about the shortage of some routine immunisation vaccines in the country.

Graphic Online checks in some regions in the country confirmed the shortages.

There are fears that this may endanger the lives of babies and infants.

Reacting to this in an interview with Citinews, the Director-General of the GHS, Dr Patrick Kuma Aboagye, said only three key vaccines have run out.

The three, he said, include poliovirus vaccine, the BCG vaccine and the measles-rubella vaccine.

Already, a measle outbreak has been reported in the Northern part of the country.

The shortage has been reported since last year and Dr Kuma Aboagye attributed it to forex challenges.

“We were to procure in the fourth quarter of the year for 2023 but due to the currency fluctuations, the funds available in cedis could not meet up”, he is quoted as saying.

He, however, assured that these vaccines will be available in the country in the next two weeks since orders are being placed.

Under the routine vaccination programme, Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG), a vaccine for tuberculosis (TB) disease; oral polio vaccine 0 (OPV); Measles-Rubella; Meningitis and Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough) are administered.

Additionally, vaccines against polio, hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenza type B (DPT/Hep B/ Hib 1) and six infectious diseases that are particularly dangerous to babies are also among those administered.

Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini