All SHS students in Ashanti Region to be vaccinated against swine flu - GHS

Students in all the second cycle institutions will be vaccinated against the deadly swine flu also known as H1N1, Ashanti Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has revealed.

“Every student will be vaccinated to prevent it”, Dr. Emmanuel Tankorang said during a radio interview on Friday morning.

According to him, now that the cause of the deaths of eleven students of Kumasi Academy (KUMACA) is known, the Service plans to vaccinate students in the region to prevent it.

“We are taking steps to prevent others from this contagious disease”, the the Regional Health Director spoke on Nhyira FM urging the media to desist from feeding the public false information about the diseases.

Eleven (11) students of the Kumasi Academy (KUMACA) in the Asokore-Mampong Municipality of the Ashanti Region died of H1N1 otherwise known as swine flu, a contagious respiratory disease that causes symptoms of seasonal influenza in people.

According to the Health Ministry, samples of the deceased persons and those on admission taken to the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research confirmed the cause of death.

Health Minister Kwaku Agyemang Manu has kicked against plans by authorities to close down the school insisting that the students should be quarantined and taken care of in order not to allow the strain spread.