Measles vaccines came from Nigeria, can last for only 6 weeks – Akandoh

Measles vaccine comes from Nigeria, it lasts only 6 weeks – Akandoh

Member of Parliament Juaboso Kwabena Mintah Akandoh said the vaccine that arrived in Ghana on Saturday was from Nigeria.

He asked how Nigeria has surplus vaccines to supply but Ghana does not have enough to inoculate the babies.

Conrtbuting to the debate in Parliament on Tuesday, March 14 in the Stae of the Nationa speech delivered by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-AddoOn Saturday Mr. Akandoh said “we heard that Ghana has sent some vaccines but what is not added is that these vaccines came from Nigeria .

“I really don’t have a problem if the Food and Drug Authority (FDA) confirms that this is a good vaccine, but the bigger question is, how come Nigeria has an excess of vaccines and we don’t? The vaccines that are sent can only last for six weeks.

Ghana’s Ministry of Health and Health Services delivered the first shipment of vaccines for Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG), Measles-Rubella (MR), and Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) on Saturday, March 11.

This comes days after the sector minister, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu assured the country on the floor of Parliament that the vaccine is coming.

“Mr. Speaker, this is a very serious matter of public interest, the guarantee that I will give and I can give for the first time in the room here that this will not happen again,” said the Member of Center Dormaa on Friday, March 10.

“I will advise you that you will help me to advocate to get enough funding for the vaccine, despite the health insurance budget. So when we meet with the committee, they always talk about it, and even in the room, it has come that the Parliament approves enough to we and we always have a good budget we will be able to provide. I assure you that whatever challenge happens, I don’t think I will face that challenge again.

“I can stand here and assure the House that in two weeks or three weeks, we will get the vaccine, even before. I can’t ask for a specific date but maybe before, we can get the vaccine that we are talking about. During that period, we received 6.4 million dollars equivalent to UNICEF providing vaccines.

On Saturday, March 11, the Director General of Services, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, was on the tarmac of the Kotoka International Airport (KIA), leading a delegation to welcome the shipment.

“Distribution to various areas and facilities [are] done,” a post on the Ministry of Information’s Facebook page.

“More vaccines are expected in Ghana in the coming weeks from various sources.”

By Laud Nartey|3news.com|Ghana

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