The World Health Organization has raised alarm about the measles epidemic in some areas of the country and has called for prompt vaccination of unvaccinated infants to stop the spread.
Speaking in an interview on the yet-to-be-aired JoyNews’ Foreign Affairs, the Deputy Director General, Dr. Anshu Banerjee said there was a “need to organise catch-up campaigns to find children who hadn’t received the measles vaccine earlier.”
This he indicated, is due to the fact that measles is a very infectious disease, adding that “we have seen measles outbreak increase…”
Parts of the country were hit by the outbreak following weeks of shortage of critical vaccines.
Notable areas with high recorded cases were the northern parts of the country, with over 100 cases.
Also, the Ketu South Municipality recorded 10 cases of measles during the period of vaccine shortage.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) have received the first consignment of vaccines with which the vaccination exercise has resumed across the country.
According to the Director General of the GHS, Dr. Patrick Kumah Aboagye, as the Service has received the first consignment, he hopes others come in soon.
He assured that the quantity received per the first consignment will be enough for a minimum of six weeks immunisation across the country.
He therefore urged parents to make their children available for vaccination when they are due.
“The first batch of the vaccines just arrived and we have doses in BCG, oral polio vaccine and then the measles vaccine. They just arrived with the accessories, syringes, safety boxes. Immediately, they are being discharged to the regions and then vaccinations will start across the country,” he said.