Omane Boamah raises concern over expiration, safety of COVID-19 vaccines

Former Communications Minister, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah says the ongoing erratic supply of power poses a serious risk to the safety of COVID-19 vaccines meant for inoculation against the virus in the country.

He is also of the view that the World Health Organization’s (WHO) directive to African countries to keep expired vaccines should be a source of worry to Ghana’s health sector and the fight against the pandemic.

In a social media post, Dr. Omane Bomah was skeptical about the development and called for assurances from the global international health agency that the lives of ordinary citizens are not at risk.

“The World Health Organization (WHO) has good intentions here. Africa, do not get them wrong. But the normative deviates significantly from our lived reality.”

“For example, how are the vaccines faring in ‘Dumsor’ in Ghana now? Ghanaians need to know, to be assured that the ‘expired vaccines’ will be fit for purpose even if for theoretical reasons”, he wrote on Facebook.

Dr. Omane who has, in the past, questioned Ghana’s vaccination exercise strategy, also said the current situation evidently shows the country’s vaccine “procurement plan was resting on wobbling feet”.

The former Minister also added that Ghanaians need not panic but rather remain calm, adding that their surest bet of safeguarding themselves from the virus is to religiously adhere to the safety protocols.

Find below the full post:

“The World Health Organization (WHO) has good intentions here. Africa, do not get them wrong.

But the normative (what should) deviates significantly from our lived reality. For example, how are the vaccines faring in ‘Dumsor’ in Ghana now?

Ghanaians need to know to be assured the “expired vaccines” will be fit for purpose even if for theoretical reasons.

Dear friend, do not panic.

This is why I said several months ago that, the best vaccine is to stick to the protocols: Handwashing with soap under running water, using face masks, applying alcohol-based hand sanitizer, and social distancing.

Any reasonable observer of the worldwide vaccine supply chain and the associated geopolitics knew Ghana’s late vaccine strategy including the procurement plan was resting on wobbling feet.”

I urge you to #staysafe because #covidisstillhere. #PureHealth

Fresh Hope