The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has said that, the Phase B of yellow fever Preventive Mass Vaccination Campaign (PMVC) to immunise the public against the disease, will begin in two districts of the Volta Region
Mr Anthony Mawuli Pani, Volta Regional Coordinator, Expanded Programme of Immunisation (EPI) disclosing this at a media briefing in Ho said, the one-week exercise is slated to start from November 12 to 18, 2020 in Akatsi North and Agotime-Ziope and would be carried out in 85 districts in 14 regions throughout the country.
He then revealed that, 42,683 and 36,721 people were expected to be immunised in Akatsi North and Agotime-Ziope, respectively adding that, the objective of the exercise was to increase the population immunity against the disease and to protect susceptible older age groups in selected high-risk areas.
He noted that, according to the World Health Organisation, the vaccine was for a lifetime and would be administered to persons between 10 and 60 years, disclosing that an estimated number of 200,000 cases of yellow fever and 30,000 deaths annually worldwide had been recorded.
Mr Pani then revealed that, 85 percent of people, who suffered from the disease might be asymptomatic, while the remaining 15 percent are severely affected and therefore urged that, ‘vaccination is the main stay’.
The Coordinator noted that, the vaccination was not a specific treatment but rather to manage conditions of the disease for a better recovery.
He disclosed that, pregnant women would not be dosed during the exercise because the vaccine could lead to a defect in the child.
Also speaking at the media briefing, Madam Patricia Mawufemor Baku, Regional Health Promotion Officer, called on the public to avail themselves to be vaccinated and offered maximum support to the authorities undertaking the exercise to achieve the desired objective.
She said all COVID-19 preventive protocols would be strictly observed for the safety of the public and the health staff, urging the public to continue to abide by all the necessary protocols so that “together we can end this pandemic.”
Meanwhile, Dr Winfred Ofosu, Eastern Regional Director of Health, has revealed that, about 700,000 health workers and volunteers had been trained to conduct the exercise under strict COVID-19 protocols at designated places such as mosques, market areas, Churches, and Schools.
He explained that in ensuring strict COVID-19 protocols, the vaccination teams would not move from house to house as was done with the polio vaccination, but rather would be stationed at the designated centres or any health facility.
He indicated that a risk assessment undertook in 2010, showed that all districts in Ghana were at risk of yellow-fever outbreak hence the vaccination campaign in 2012 and 2018 in some districts, adding that the vaccination was once in a lifetime and admonished the public to keep their vaccination cards well.
