The Ghana Health Service (GHS) Tuesday, October 8, launched a Mass Vaccination Plan for Vaccine-Preventable Disease (VPD) Outbreaks.  

The five-year roadmap is designed to guide the national response to any vaccine-preventable disease outbreak.  

The costed response plan consolidates all necessary actions to be taken during an outbreak and outlines the responsibilities of various stakeholders for an effective response. 

Dr. Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, Director for Public Health at GHS, who launched the plan in Accra, said it would enhance stakeholder engagement during outbreaks. 

He said that the plan aimed to mobilise resources for vaccination efforts in response to outbreaks and to minimise disruptions to routine immunisation and other health sector activities. 

It also aims to improve the coverage of immunization services and the timeliness of national response to VPD outbreaks. 

“The goal of this plan is to reduce morbidity, mortality, and disability associated with vaccine-preventable diseases by providing high-quality immunization services during VPD outbreaks,” he said. 

Dr. Kwame Achiano-Amponsa, Program Manager for the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) at GHS, noted that the plan was developed based on lessons learned from previous mass vaccination campaigns responding to VPD outbreaks, particularly the national response to the COVID-19 outbreak. 

“This plan is anchored on the principles of equity, integration, inclusivity, sustainability, accountability, and community engagement and ownership,” he said. 

Dr. Achiano-Amponsa stated that Ghana has faced multiple outbreaks of VPDs in recent years, necessitating concerted and multisectoral efforts to address the challenges they pose. 

He emphasized that vaccines had been crucial in preventing and controlling infectious diseases, resulting in significant improvements in global public health. 

 Dr. Achiano-Amponsa also noted that the recent COVID-19 pandemic underscored the importance of efficient and timely vaccine procurement and distribution in managing vaccine-preventable diseases. 

“Vaccine-preventable diseases have historically posed significant public health challenges leading to widespread morbidity, mortality and disruption to economic and other social systems,” he said.  

The EPI has stated that mass vaccination campaigns are essential for quickly controlling and mitigating the impact of outbreaks.  

The campaigns involve administering vaccines to large segments of the population within a short period, with the goal of achieving high vaccination coverage and interrupting disease transmission chains. 

Dr Achiano-Amponsa noted that the dynamics of mass vaccination responses to vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks were complex, influenced by factors such as the disease’s epidemiology, vaccine availability, healthcare infrastructure, and public perception. 

He said that the vision of the Mass Vaccination Plan aligned with the national health policy’s goal of achieving a healthy population for national development and would reduce morbidity, mortality, and disability associated with vaccine-preventable diseases in the long term by providing high-quality immunization services.