The Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, has said there is no need for any person to panic over the withdrawal of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines worldwide.
This comes after the Serum Institute of India (SII), which produced AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine put in a request on March 5, in regards to the withdrawal.
Though the manufacturers admitted in court that the vaccine causes side effects such as blood clots and low blood platelet counts, Dr. Kumah Aboagye assured that there is no cause for alarm.
Explaining why the vaccines had been withdrawn on Wednesday, May 8, during his tour to COVID-19 vaccination centres in the Ga East Municipality to evaluate the ongoing exercise, he said “What I have read is nothing that was ever hidden. What I read from the report is that they are withdrawing for commercial reasons, in a sense that, there are superior vaccines in the market, and so if you are in a market and you will not be able to compete why produce something when others will go for some other brand?” he asked.
He continued by saying “For me that is the message I get from the decision, not because it is dangerous. It is simply because all vaccines have side effects, but they decided that, if I’m selling something and someone brings in a superior brand into the market and probably even cheaper, why do I stay in the market? I think as a company they have the right to do that.”
