Civil Society Organization, Research Center for Policy Advocacy and Governance (ReCPAG) has called for a probe into circumstances that led to the wastage of some of the COVID-19 vaccines in the first round of immunization of Ghanaians.
In a press statement signed by its Executive Director, Mumuni Believer Likpalimor, ReCPAG asked for a bi-partisan probe into the wastage of 480 AstraZeneca Vaccines in the Northern Region.
“…, we therefore, wish to call for a bipartisan inquiry into circumstances that led to the wastage having received a directive from the FDA to ensure the vaccines were exhausted within six months from the manufacturer’s date of 16th October, 2020.”
According to the group, only 30,1% of health workers in the Region lined up to receive the vaccines when it was immunization time, theorizing that the low patronage was likely due to insufficient education to dispel conspiracy theories surrounding the vaccines.
The little education that the government managed, it said was rather centralized.
Meanwhile, ReCPAG has said that the likelihood of a second round of vaccination delaying due to the unavailability of vaccines is dangerous for the little progress that has been made with the first round of vaccination.
It expressed fear that even though the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Kumah Aboagye has assured that the 8-week window for repeat vaccination could be extended to 12 weeks, the government is likely to miss the 12-week window as well because of over-reliance on the World Health Organization’s COVAX program.
“It is worth noting that failure to receive the second dose after ninety days of the first jab could lead to reinfection when exposed to the virus and possibly affect the purpose of the second dose of boosting the immune system and, in achieving herd immunity.
“ReCPAG wishes to use this medium to encourage Government to, as a matter of urgency, adopt an alternate plan by allocating funds to secure the vaccines to avert further disappointment,” it said.