The Ghana Health Service (GHS) in the Asutifi North District of the Ahafo Region has launched a targeted immunisation campaign against poliomyelitis (polio) for children aged between seven and 11 months, aimed at strengthening protection against the disease.
This initiative is part of Ghana’s national immunisation programme, which provides vaccines from birth through to 18 months, covering diseases such as tuberculosis, hepatitis B, polio, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, Haemophilus influenzae type B, measles, rubella, and yellow fever.
To protect children from polio, the country’s immunisation efforts employ both the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV), which covers poliovirus serotypes 1 and 3, and the Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV), which helps enhance the immune response. Children receive four doses of OPV at birth, and at 6, 10, and 14 weeks, alongside a dose of IPV at 14 weeks.
Speaking at the campaign launch in Kenyasi, Public Health Officer for Disease Control, Stephen Owusu Sekyere, warned that children who miss vaccination remain highly vulnerable to polio.
He urged parents, guardians, and educators to support the campaign and ensure that every eligible child is vaccinated.
Sekyere also addressed misconceptions circulating within some communities about the safety of the vaccine. “These vaccines are certified and completely safe. There is no cause for alarm,” he assured.
District Director of Health Services, Bryan Sienso, encouraged caregivers to promptly report any side effects to nearby health facilities for immediate attention.
Sienso also noted that the district’s coverage for routine polio immunisation has consistently exceeded 90 percent, urging stakeholders to maintain this high level by ensuring that no child is left behind.