The shortage of vaccines for babies has prompted the association for midwives and nurses to warn mothers to take extra care of their babies
President of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo said on March 1, 2023, that because babies can't be immunised against diseases like TB and measles due to the shortage, mothers should not give their babies to relatives
She has asked the government to act with speed about the vaccine shortage because it is a public health emergency
The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association has told mothers to take extra care of their babies as the country faces a dangerous case of shortage of essential vaccines used to immunise babies against a host of childhood diseases.
President of the Association Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo said one of the ways to take extra care of babies in these times would be for parents to stop giving newborn babies to relatives and visitors.
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“The cultural nature we go about things [in Ghana] means that if you put a child or you put a baby in a certain environment which is not the best, it predisposes the child especially to the TB and to the measles and to rubella,” she told Joy News on Wednesday, March 1, 2023.
A stock photo of a baby receiving a vaccine (L) and Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo. Source: Getty Images, Facebook/@Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo - FWACN, FGCNM Source: UGC
Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo said the baby vaccine shortage is a clear public health emergency that needs immediate attention and resolution by the government.
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Shortage of baby vaccines hits Ghana
It emerged not long ago that a shortage of BCG vaccines used to treat infant diseases like polio, TB, and measles among others has been reported across the country.
An investigative report by Daily Graphic, a state-owned newspaper, on February 23, 2023, said the shortage of vaccines has hit almost all 16 regions across the country prompting fears of a return of deadly infant diseases that had been eradicated in Ghana after many years.
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The situation is so dire, health minister Kwaku Agyeman Manu was summoned to appear before the legislative committee to answer questions.
Health minister does not deserve his office
An influential Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), SEND Ghana has said the minister does not deserve to be in office because of how he has handled the issue of the baby vaccine shortage.
Deputy country director of the NGO, Dr Emmanuel Ayifah said the minister's handling of the situation, is similar to how he handled the Covid-19 expenditure.
According to him, the minister has put the lives of vulnerable Ghanaian children at risk.
Already, there are reports of an outbreak of measles in towns in some of the regions of the north of Ghana.
NPP wants to change our minds with vaccine
YEN.com.gh reported in a previous story that residents in Upper Manya Krobo District refused to take the Covid-19 vaccine in 2021 due to misconceptions and alleged links to the NPP government.
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According to them, the government wants to use the vaccine to force them to vote for the NPP in 2024.
Some people claimed that if a lady takes the Covid-19 vaccine, they will cease menstruation and cannot give birth.