The Ghana Health Service will from the 1st of June this year introduce the Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) at the various child health clinics.
The vaccines will be given to babies at 14 weeks old, Dr John Dadzie, of the Expanded Programme on Immunization announced at the commemoration of the World Immunization Week by the Ghana Coalition of NGOs in Health on Monday.
The World Immunization Week celebration is on the theme: “Protected Together, Vaccines Work”
Mr Dadzie said immunization was one of the public health intervention strategies that had been very successful worldwide, reiterating that vaccines were safe and potent.
He also announced that Ghana was one of three countries in Africa that would soon be piloting a malaria vaccine.
He explained that a vaccine has been developed to combat malaria and in Ghana the vaccine would be piloted in the Brong Ahafo, Volta and Central regions, and urged parents especially mothers to patronize immunization programmes.
“Mothers should ensure that their children receive all the vaccines that they need to protect them from ill-health,” he said.
Dr Dadzie said vaccination was also an economic issue since parents will be unable to work if their children fell sick, saying, “If you are a trader and your child falls ill, you will be forced to stay with your child in the hospital, you cannot sell while the child is in the hospital.
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