The Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) of the Ghana Health Service has begun a nationwide distribution of vaccines to health facilities for children under five years.

The distribution is to address the recent shortage of vaccines that occurred in some health facilities in urban areas as a result of the fire outbreak at the National Medical Stores.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview, Mr Ebo Dadzie, the Deputy Programme Manager of EPI, explained that the distribution started on the February 18, with the Eastern, Volta, and Greater Accra regions having been covered.

“Consignments for the other regions are ready to be delivered and these will descend down from the regions to districts and to the facilities for urgent use,” he said.

Health facilities in Greater Accra and other regions ran out of the Five in One vaccine meant for children from six weeks to 14 weeks because of the fire out break at the Central Medical Stores, at Tema.

Mr Dadzie noted that the vaccine was very important for the survival of babies because it prevented the childhood diseases of Diphtheria, Pertussis, Hepatitis B, Haemophilus and Influenza B.

Newborns are given the first dose of this vaccine at six weeks, the second dose at 10 weeks, and the third dose at 14 weeks.

Mr Dadzie encouraged mothers who could not vaccinate their babies to return to the facilities for their babies to be vaccinated.

A GNA visit to some facilities in the Accra Metropolis confirmed that they had received the consignment and confirmed also the earlier shortage.