The Ashanti Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service has urged parents to ignore anti vaccine campaigns as the service rolls out a measles rubella vaccination and Vitamin A supplement exercise for all children between 9 months and five years.
According to the world health organization (WHO) and UNICEF; some 700 thousand children in Ghana are highly susceptible to measles and rubella.
In the Ashanti Region, recorded cases rose exponentially from 1 in 2020 to as high as 79 as of the year 2023.
Announcing the commencement of the immunization drive, Ashanti Regional Director of Health Dr Fred Adomako Boateng attributed the trend, to poor vaccine uptake and anti-vaccination campaigns which he described as unfortunate.
“Every year, we miss some 5% of children who cumulatively form the susceptible group at risk of contracting measles. It further dipped during the COVID 19 Pandemic. There are some who will not allow their children to be vaccinated no matter what you say.”
“However if you look at the complications of possible deafness, blindness and death that we have discussed, weigh the advantages and disadvantages. All of us got measles jabs but we are all still around,” he advised.
He pointed out that from the 2nd to the 6th of October, vaccination teams will be targeting 903,973 children in all 43 districts of the Ashanti Region.
Dr Adomako Boateng is positive vaccinating 95% of the vulnerable population will greatly reduce the risk of outbreaks and its attendant consequences of possible death, blindness and deafness in affected children.
“The primary objective of this exercise is to increase the population immunity against measles and rubella by achieving at least 95%coverage rate for Ashanti and the 55 other regions,” he stated.
He indicated that the teams will be setting up fixed stations aside outreaches to churches, schools and other areas of public convergence and urged the public to corporate in the best interest of the children.
The theme for the accelerated vaccination action on Measles and rubella vaccinations comes off under the theme “Measles and rubella kills so vaccinate your child for a good life”.
Statistics:
In 2018, the Ashanti Region confirmed nine measles cases reducing to 2 in 2019 and further reducing to 1 case in the year 2020.
After recording 4 cases in 2021, the number increased to 24 in the year 2022 and rose exponentially to 79 in the year 2023.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Ivan Heathcote – Fumador
