98,000 children in Ghana missed 2013 vaccination – WHO

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has set the target of immunizing over 90,000 children under five years in Ghana during this year's vaccination exercise.

About 98,000 children are reported to have missed the 2013 vaccination carried out in the country.

Out of that number, about 3,000 have already missed out on the 2014 vaccination exercise, a WHO officer has said.

Speaking on TV3’s Midday Live on Wednesday, a day after the launch of the African Vaccination Week, Stanley Diamenu, the Immunization Officer at WHO’s country office in Accra, called on all parents to make sure their Under-Five children get immunized even if the set date passes.

This year’s vaccination week will be under the theme: “Unite to save newborns, a promise renewed”.

Though the African exercise is scheduled to take off on April 22 and end on May 11, Ghana’s is scheduled to be held from Monday, May 5 to Friday, May 9.

“Immunizing children is one of the most cost-effective interventions that we have in health,” said Dr Magda Robalo, the Country Representative of WHO.

“It is relatively cheap and it prevents against diseases that can kill children. So we want every child to be given a chance.”

Already, Ghana has been declared free of poliomyelitis and neo-natal tetanus.