Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has clarified that the withdrawal of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine is primarily due to commercial considerations rather than medical concerns.
AstraZeneca, the manufacturer of the vaccine utilized during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, has initiated a global recall of its vaccines. This decision comes following the acknowledgment of an uncommon adverse effect known as Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS).
TTS is characterized by the formation of blood clots that can obstruct veins or arteries, potentially leading to severe complications such as strokes or heart attacks, which can be fatal.
The withdrawal of the vaccine is attributed to the presence of updated vaccines in surplus since the onset of the pandemic, according to the pharmaceutical company.
Speaking to journalists during a tour as part of the COVID-19 Vaccination and Child Health Promotion Week/African Vaccination Week Campaign in various areas of the Ga East Municipality in Accra, Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, clarified that the withdrawal was not prompted by medical concerns but rather by commercial factors.
“They are withdrawing for commercial reasons in the sense that there are superior vaccines in the market,” Dr. Kuma-Aboagye explained. “And so if you are in a market and you will not be able to compete, why produce something when others will go for some other brand.”