Ghana may soon be among the first if not the African country to manufacture a vaccine for the novel Coronavirus as one of it's health research centers, the Kintampo Health Research Center, KHRC has produced one which is currently on clinical trial.
At a stakeholders meeting Organized by the center on Wednesday, June 22, 2022, a leading member of the covid-19 vaccine research team, Dr. Karly Seyram disclosed that the study into the vaccine commenced in May 2021.
In August, 2021, he said, his team obtained certification from the ethics committees in Kintampo Health Research Center, KHRC, the Ghana Health Service, GHS and the Food and Drugs Authority, FDA, for the study which they subsequently began in September, 2021.
"We together with our sister institutions; the Navrongo Health, Research Center, NHRC and KCCR wrote to Sanofi Pasteur, a Drug and Vaccine research body, indicating our desire to research into a vaccine for Covid-19 and, luckily, we were selected among several other centers to begin the research.
"In August, 2021, we obtained certification from the ethics committees of the Kintampo Health Research Center, KHRC, the Ghana Health Service, GHS, and the Food and Drugs Authority, FDA for commencement of the study which we subsequently began in September, 2021", he said.
He furthered that results from the study or trials so far as has been welcoming as the efficacy level of the vaccine has proven to be 70%. "Results from the trial, so far, has shown that the vaccine can protect us against the covid-19. It's efficacy level has proven to be about 70% but we are still on it trying to put together some results from sampled population", he added.
Meanwhile, in a subsequent interview with this reporter on GBC Radio-kintampo's morning Show on Friday, June 24, 2021, the Director of the Kintampo Health Research Center, KHRC, Dr. Kwaku Poku Asante said, "by the grace of God, we are currently undertaking trials on a vaccine that will help us fight against the spread of covid-19.
"It is a new vaccine that we are currently understudying. It has been given to the appropriate bodies to study and establish it's efficacy level as well as it's effects on consumers. As soon as it is approved, it will be sent to the market domain".
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