Measles vaccines supplied not enough for mass campaign - NR Health Director

Correspondence from Northern Region

The Acting Northern Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Braimah Abubakari has disclosed that although the Northern Regional Health Directorate received some quantities of the measles vaccines, they are not enough for a mass vaccination exercise.

He said the quantity received was only enough for routine immunizations, noting that the Directorate can only embark on a mass campaign if more consignments are supplied.

There has been an outbreak for f measles in all 16 Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies of the Northern Region.

The outbreak followed a shortage of Measles and Polio vaccines in the region since last year.

The Tamale Metropolis has been the worse affected, with reports suggesting at least five have died since the outbreak in January.

The government recently acquired some vaccines for Measles for onward distribution across the country in an attempt to stop the further spread of the viral disease to other parts of the country.

However, Dr. Braimah told GhanaWeb at the opening of the 2022 Performance Review Meeting of the Northern Regional Health Directorate in Tamale on Wednesday, March 22 that “we received quantities that were to support our routine immunization services for the next six weeks”.

He added that "these vaccines we received were not quantities that can do mass vaccination to catch up with everybody but at least to continue the routine immunization”.

Dr. Barhama said the limited vaccines are currently stationed at their routine child welfare clinics across the region for mothers whose children are due for routine immunization.

He stressed that the vaccines are currently in supply and urged mothers whose children are due for immunization to take them to the health facilities for exercise.