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The Ghana Health Service (GHS) through the expanded program on the immunization in collaboration with the Food And Drugs Authority (FDA) has held a stakeholders meeting to plan about how to fight and response to a vaccine related issue in the Ashanti Region.
This Vaccine Related Events (VRE) which are connected to vaccines that affects vaccination program negatively was held on 9th June, 2022 in Kumasi.
It was also organized to offer guidance in training and mobilisation activities for effective vaccine response initiatives in Ghana.
The meeting was also to plan and seek to provide a well-coordinated national response that defines clear roles and responsibilities of stakeholders at the national, regional, and district levels for effective response to VREs for all types of vaccines in a timely manner.
Speaking at the meeting, Mr Laryea Odai-Tettey, head of Food and Drugs Authority in the Ashanti Region said, the misinformation about vaccines including Covid 19 vaccine has affected the health delivery in the region.
He said, most of the people have bad perception about any vaccine they introduce.
He then urged everyone to be bold enough to take any drugs they bring in the country.
Mrs. Rhoda Abenaa Appiah, Head of Communication and Public Education Department at the FDA in her speech also added that, Ghana should have a drafted plan to know how to engaged the people on vaccines.
She said, the draft will also help identify where the problem is when it comes to vaccinations in the region.
Mrs. Rhoda giving an overview of the document said, the Ghana Vaccine Related Events (VRE) Response Plan was in four phases, including Preparation for a VRE, Detecting VRE for effective monitoring, Responding to VRE, as well as Sustaining/post VRE through feedbacks and evaluation for further policy decision.
She said, the programme, since its establishment, had progressively introduced several vaccines such as malaria and COVID-19 into its routine immunisation, mainly among children under five years as well as adults.
Mrs Appiah said stakeholders played important roles in the process of effective management of VREs and was hopeful that the meeting would make the document fit for purpose.
Dr. Micheal Emmanuel Tenkorang, The Ashanti Regional health director has advised Ghanaians to continue to adhere to COVID – 19 safety protocols. Though is not strictly by force but since there have been some rise of the disease and the current outbreak of monkey pox, the adherence will help control and eliminate the virus from the country.
Despite the drastic decline in the number of cases being recorded in the Region and the country at large, the pandemic must not be taken for granted or else there could be a resurgence as had occurred in some countries.
Dr. Emmanuel Tenkorang was addressing a stakeholders engagement meeting on the draft vaccine related events (VRE) response plan for Ghana organized by food and drug authority Presby Basel mission.
The wearing of nose masks, washing of hands regularly among others, were still very important interventions to curtail the upscale of the pandemic, Dr Tenkorang added.
