Dr Atsu Seake-Kwawu, Ho Municipal Director of Health Services on Wednesday warned the public against taking Ciprofloxacin as “vaccine” against cholera.

He described the practice as “terrible and very wrong” and called for a stop to it.

Dr Seake-Kwawu gave the warning in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) following reports that some people in parts of the Volta Region were taking the drug as vaccine to prevent contracting cholera.

He said the country has no vaccine for cholera and that preventive measures remained the surest way to manage the disease.

Dr Seake-Kwawu said taking ciprofloxacin as vaccine was an abuse of a useful drug which could lead to the development of drug resistance.

“Antibiotics do not come cheap and if we continue to use them this way, it can lead to the development of drug resistance and we will pay dearly for it,” he stated.

Dr Seake-Kwawu called on the Pharmacy Council to help resolve the situation, saying, “Cholera” is real. It is not a joke and we don’t want people to be joking with it, so it’s important for all stakeholders to treat it with the seriousness it deserves.”

Mr Ken Owusu, Volta Regional Manager of the Pharmacy Council said it was unbelievable that people were taking ciprofloxacin without a doctor’s advice and described the practice as a “dangerous abuse.”

He urged pharmacies to sell all antibiotics only on prescriptions.