Over 100 measles cases have been reported in northern Ghana as a result of a vaccine shortage.

 

According to Dr Hilda Mantebea Boye, President-elect of the Paediatrics Society of Ghana. The figures come amid a nationwide shortage of baby vaccines. Ghana ran out of critical BCG and OPV vaccines due to the Ministry of Health's failure to secure procurement of these vaccines since the beginning of the year. The BCG vaccine is primarily required to prevent tuberculosis in infants, whereas the OPV vaccine is required to prevent polio infections. Other critical vaccines for diseases such as measles, whooping cough, and others are also in short supply. As a result of this, Dr. Mantebea Boye appeared on JoyNews. According to the investigation, if no action is taken, the number of cases will likely increase.immediately. “At the last count in the northern region, we have more than a hundred children who we suspect have measles. And it is very worrying to us.“This is something ongoing so data is still being collected and because of the shortage of vaccines we expect that many more children could be affected by this. So the infection is likely to rise as the days go by,” she said on Sunday.