The Programmes Manager of the Extended Programme on Immunization (EPI), Dr. Kwame Amponsa-Akyianu has refuted claims that some vaccines in the country are due to expire today.
It was reported that about 2000 COVID-19 vaccines in the Northern Region are due to expire today, Friday,16th April, 2020.
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The Regional Director for Public Health, Hilarius Abiwu, is quoted to have said that the first batch of the AstraZeneca doses which were manufactured in October 2020 are expected to last for half a year which effectively points to 16th April.
However, Dr. Amponsa-Akyianu reacting to this news, told Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show: “In my books I do not have any vaccines that will expire on Friday that is 16th of April. I stated that we had some vaccines from MTN around Easter. These were vaccines that came from South Africa and the expiry was 13th of April so we vaccinated all through Easter. So as at the time the expiry was up, I knew that all the vaccine had been used except for wastage. So far, the wastage we have is not even up to 2 percent so we are not really worried about those things at all”.
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Dr. Amponsa-Akyianu noted that EPI is pleased with the hard work it has put in place to ensure that more people are vaccinated. The Programmes Manager assured that authorities are doing all they can to ensure that the country receives additional vaccines for the second doses.
Ghana has so far administered 755,686 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine as of April 15,2021.
By: Alberta Dorcas N D Armah