Polio vaccines are safe

Dr Charles Sagoe-Moses, Ghanaian Deputy Regional Director of Public Health, on Friday said polio vaccines for this year's National Immunisation Days (NIDs) are safe and not infected with the mad cow disease. Sagoe-Moses was reacting to a news item that Britain has called for the withdrawal of the polio vaccines in the system, which are infected with mad cow disease. Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Accra, Dr Sagoe-Moses said the vaccines used in Ghana were made in Belgium by Smithkline Beecham Biologicals s.a. and in France.

"Therefore, Ghanaian mothers should not panic and allow their children under the ages of five to be immunised," he said. He said a series of tests were conducted on the vaccines at the Noguchi Memorial Institute and had been proved to be safe.

Many mothers GNA reporter spoke to said they were afraid after hearing the news that their children might contract the mad cow disease should they be immunised. Some volunteers were turned away