The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has reassured the public that the withdrawal of the COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccines should not be a source of worry.
AstraZeneca, the company that produced vaccines during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, has initiated a worldwide recall of its vaccines.
The pharmaceutical behemoth has recognized the presence of a rare side effect known as Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS).
This syndrome, marked by the development of blood clots that block veins or arteries, can present symptoms such as pain and swelling in one leg, chest discomfort, or numbness on one side of the body.
The health risks linked with thrombosis, including strokes or heart attacks, can be life-threatening.
The firm stated that the recall was due to an excess of updated vaccines available since the pandemic.
The GHS had previously noted that the withdrawal of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine was for commercial reasons.
In an Eyewitness News interview with Selorm Adonoo on Citi FM on Wednesday, Dr Kwame Amponsa-Achiano, Manager of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation at the GHS, urged the public to remain calm, assuring them that there was no reason to be alarmed.
He underscored that currently, there were no AstraZeneca vaccines available, only the J&J COVID-19 vaccine.
He pointed out that the market authorisation holders were not interested in continuing with the AstraZeneca vaccines due to commercial considerations.
“We believe that there is no cause for alarm…incidentally, if you’ve been following us we don’t have AstraZeneca because it was not eventually authorised for use. The market authorization holders did not pursue that for commercial reasons.”
“Ghana is a very small market, So the only vaccine we have which we are using now is J&J. There is no cause for alarm,” he stated.
Explore the world of impactful news with CitiNewsroom on WhatsApp!
Click on the link to join the Citi Newsroom channel for curated, meaningful stories tailored just for YOU: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaCYzPRAYlUPudDDe53x
No spams, just the stories that truly matter! #StayInformed #CitiNewsroom #CNRDigital
