Swine flu vaccines now expected next week

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) says the expected arrival of the vaccines last Saturday to combat the Swine flu has delayed.

“Inasmuch as efforts are being made to facilitate the process, the supplier has indicated that there will be a slight delay in the delivery of the vaccines.

“It is expected that the vaccines will arrive in Accra by the middle of next week,” a statement signed and issued by the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the GHS, Mrs Rebecca Ackwonu, in Accra, has said.

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Steps taken

Referring to steps being taken to deal with the issue, the statement said alert had been sent to all health facilities for heightened awareness, early case detection and improved case management.

In addition, it said there was an enhanced surveillance in all the schools and communities, while public education was ongoing.

It said contact tracing was ongoing, while the National Technical Coordinating Committee (NTCC), Regional and District Public Health Emergency Management Committees had been activated.

The statement said the vaccines and more anti-virals for H1N1 had been arranged for, while “the anti-viral is expected in the country by the weekend and the vaccine early next week. Adequate arrangements have been made to send the vaccines to point of use soon on arrival.”  

It further said the GHS had initiated the process to enhance school health by designating a hospital to each second cycle institution.

Delay in arrival

However, last Friday, the GHS issued the statement assuring the public that the “Ministry of Health, with the support of WHO, are closely following up to ensure this is expedited.

“The vaccines will be immediately deployed for immediate use on arrival,” the statement added.

Earlier date

Last Thursday, the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Professor Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa, issued a statement indicating that arrangements had been made to procure and airlift antiviral agents, Tamiflu, and vaccines for use.

According to that statement, the GES said the Ministry of Health (MOH) would take delivery of the anti-viral agents, Tamiflu, on Sunday, December 17, 2017 from the World Health Organisation as part of measures to combat the threat posed by the 2009 H1N1 strain of influenza, also known as Swine flu.

In addition, the statement said the vaccines for the Swine flu were also expected in the country on Saturday, December 16, 2017.

Background

Giving a background, the statement said so far, the outbreak of Acute Respiratory Illness (ARI) due to Influenza Type-A H1N1 in the Kumasi Academy since November 29, 2017 has affected a total of 94 cases, including four (4) deaths.

It said as of December 14, 2017, there were no more cases on admission and no new cases over the past 72 hours.

The statement said at the St Martin’s SHS at Nsawam-Adoagyiri District where three students were diagnosed as suffering from malaria, the others were on admission due to anxiety reaction.

It, however, said at the Koforidua Secondary Technical, the Bawku Secondary Technical and the Damongo SHS it had been established there were cases of meningitis resulting in some deaths in some of those schools.