| A request by the Ministry of Health for a fresh batch of the HINI vaccines, is expected to be honoured by the World Health Organisation (WHO) before the end of this week. In fact the anticipated arrival time for the vaccines is set for this evening.This is according to Minister of Health, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, who in a statement, explained that the vaccines have already been shipped and will be made available for distribution at the various health centres by tomorrow afternoon.The new shipment of vaccines, the Minister said, is approximately 100,000 doses and is a replacement for a previous shipment of the vaccines that arrived two weeks ago that were inadvertently placed in a freezer.According to the Minister the Ministry of Health has always ensured and will continue to ensure that the highest quality of vaccines is used in its immunisation programme.The Minister has further asserted that although the number of H1N1 cases around the world has fallen, cases are still occurring in many countries thus the need for its continued dispensing.The request for the replacement of the vaccines came on the heels of allegations that 100,000 doses of the vaccines, valued at some $40M, which had recently arrived in the country had spoiled due to the negligence of workers within the health sector.This newspaper had brought the allegation to the attention of the Minister, on Sunday. Dr Ramsammy had returned to Guyana the previous day having attended the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.The Minister had assured that an investigation into the matter would have commenced forthwith as he was not informed by his officers that any vaccine had spoiled.However, following his investigation on Monday, the Minister in a statement revealed that he was able to deduce that the vaccines had not spoiled but rather the potency of the batch was compromised.This development, the Minister noted, is based on the fact that the temperature of the vaccine package was found to be inconsistent with the recommended temperature on arrival. Additionally, he revealed that the vaccines once they had arrived at the Ministry of Health’s Kingston bond they were placed immediately in a freezer,NCAA Football Jerseys, a move which is not recommended.The batch represented a second batch of the vaccines donated by WHO and consisted of 100,000 doses.“Like the first batch of vaccines which is presently being used, the vaccines were provided by the WHO at no cost to the Ministry of Health. The first batch amounted to a value about $70M and the second batch amounted to a value of about $40M.”According to the Minister, on arrival of the second batch of donated vaccines, officials from the Ministry of Health had promptly uplifted them.The vaccines were then brought to the Kingston Vaccine Bond and stored in the bond without delay, he asserted.However, there were two problems that were encountered, that is, the inconsistency of the temperature and the fact that they were immediately refrigerated, thus the Ministry has had cause, out of an abundance of caution, to ask the WHO to replace the vaccines with a fresh shipment, the Minister noted.He further disclosed that while neither of the conditions means that the vaccines are spoilt, both could have served to reduce their potency.The Minister had revealed to this newspaper that he has been able to negotiate with the WHO to donate the HINI vaccines to Guyana. So far some 300,000 doses have been assured of which 200,000 have already arrived.Another 100,000, aside from the replacement batch, will be sent as the need arises. |
