Noguchi damns Parliament over Ebola vaccine trial

The head of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) has expressed surprise at calls made by members of Parliament (MPs) that the ongoing Ebola vaccine trial should be stopped.

MPs led by Ho West member Emmanuel Bedzrah on Wednesday, June 10 backed a directive by the Minister of Health to halt the trial of the Ebola vaccine in the Hohoe district of the Volta Region.

The legislative also summoned the Minister to appear on Tuesday to answer questions on the exercise.

The agitations have been instigated by residents in the region who fear the side effects of the vaccine.

But speaking to TV3’s Daniel Lartey in an interview on Thursday, June 11, Professor Kwadwo Koram, the Director of the NMIMR, said there are protocols that guide the trial of any vaccine in the country and those protocols were passed by Parliament and have been followed through before the Ebola vaccine trial.

“So, I felt very sad when I saw them on television against the trial,” he said.

“Why did they pass the law?” he asked.

Prof Koram pointed out that sections of the law are clear on how to write a protocol for clinical trial.

“There are [even] sections on who can do a trial. It is all there in the law.”

The Ebola virus has killed more than 10,000 people in West Africa. It has been recorded in five West African countries with Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia the hardest hit. Ghana has not recorded any case yet.

Prof William Ampofu, Head of Virology at NMIMR, said Ghana had campaigned to get a vaccine for Ebola and so he is surprised at the turn of events when that vaccine is being trialled.

“So, now the MPs are telling us that when someone a request for Hepatitis B vaccine, we should send them to Parliament? We will do that gladly.”

Other researchers urged Parliament to pry for more information before taking decisions.