Travellers to South Africa vaccinated (Back Page)

Saturday, June 5,2010


THE Ghana Health Service (GHS) today administered H1N1 vaccine to a large number of people who are scheduled to travel to South Africa for the 2010 World Cup tournament in that country.
They included sports officials, media practitioners, members of the various football supporters groups and selected individuals from some identifiable groups.
A total of 2,000 people are being sponsored by the Government of Ghana (GOG) to go to South Africa to cheer the Black Stars. All the 2,000 people and other Ghanaians who will go there privately for the tournament and are able to produce documents to support their claim will also be vaccinated.
The group formed part of the initial 2.3 million Ghanaians who will be vaccinated against the pandemic within the next few days.
The rest are health workers, security personnel and pregnant women.
The 2.3 million vaccines were donated freely by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to Ghana to help the country combat the spread of the pandemic.
Around 9.25am when the Daily Graphic team got to the Ohene Djan Sports Stadium in Accra where the vaccination took place, a sizeable number of people had already queued up.
A number of health personnel were smartly dressed and busily arranging the various items for the exercise to begin.
The medical officer attached to Ghana’s Welfare Committee for South Africa 2010, Dr Prince Pambo, was also present to oversee the exercise.
In addition to the H1N1 vaccination, those who had not been vaccinated against yellow fever were taken care of as part of the travelling requirements.
As the individuals were being vaccinated, the health workers took time to explain to them the possibility of some side effects, depending on the level of individuals’ immune system.
Those side effects, according to the Programme Manager of the Expanded Programme of Immunisation (EPI) of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Nana Kwadwo Antwi-Adjei, included headache, fever, nose blockage, heaviness of the ear, and pain at the site of the vaccine.
Dr Antwi-Adjei explained that not everybody would experience a side effect and advised those who might experience them not to apply anything at the site of the vaccination and when in doubt, they should report to the nearest health facility.
He told the Daily Graphic that there were 10 vaccinators available for the exercise and that the team was expected to complete the exercise by the close of the day.
He, however, indicated that all those who would not able to receive the vaccine should contact the various vaccination centres in Accra such as the Adabraka Polyclinic and also at the various regional health directorates for help.
Although it was raining, those who were to be vaccinated came on foot, in taxis as well as private cars.
Members of the group were mostly young men and women and a few elderly people who looked excited while going through the exercise.
In a related development, Ghana recorded its first H1N1 death last week, few days after the first consignment of two million doses of the vaccines arrived in the country.
The victim, an 11-month-old baby girl, died at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra where he was sent to in an unconscious state.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic in Accra, the Director of Public Health, Dr Joseph Amankwah, said specimen from the child was taken for testing before he passed away and explained that both parents of the child had the influenza but had been treated.
Dr Amankwah said the vaccines were donated by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which was also footing the cost of shipment, as well as distribution within Ghana.
Dr Amankwah explained that the first batch of the vaccines were meant for health professionals, personnel of the security agencies, pregnant women and most importantly, Ghanaians who would go to South Africa for this year’s World Cup.
He said the WHO was assisting Ghana to receive additional vaccines for the general public but the country would have to take care of the cost of shipping and distribution.