Since the beginning of the year, health professionals and experts have lamented the nationwide shortage of childhood immunisation vaccines.

Even though the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has promised to restock the supply of vaccines soon, the situation doesn't seem to be calming concerns. The necessity of the vaccines and the measles outbreak in some regions of the nation are to blame for this.

Dr. Hilda Manteybea Boye, president-elect of the Pediatric Society of Ghana, stated that the shortage "runs the risk of having children die" in an interview with JoyNews.

She has therefore pleaded with the Ghana Health Service to act quickly.

“It is the action that we are looking for. So whatever it will take for them to get us the vaccines like today, because every day we risk having children die from this shortage,” she said.

Currently, 16 districts in the Northern Region have recorded cases of measles.

Head of Pediatrics and Child Health at the Tamale Teaching Hospital, Professor Alhassan Abdul Mumin confirmed the measles outbreak, indicating that there is no district in the Northern Region, that has not recorded an outbreak of measles for most of the children who were born since 2022.

On his part, a Neurosurgeon and General Secretary of the Islamic Medical Association of Ghana, Dr. Hardy Abdullah says the shortage can affect the development of a child’s nervous system.

“The long-term effects, especially measles and Rubella could have an impact on the baby’s central nervous system. And so as a country, the fact that we can’t get the vaccine is unfortunate.”

The health experts and practitioners are therefore intensifying pressure on the government on the need to secure the three essential vaccines for babies.

Meanwhile, Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu has appeared before Parliament to brief the House on the development.