The Minority in Parliament has revealed that contrary to assertions by President Akufo-Addo and his Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman Manu, no deaths have been recorded as a result of the shortage of childhood vaccines, but five lives have been lost.

Debating the president’s State of the Nation Address, Ranking Member for the Committee on Health Kwabena Minta Akandoh cited the chief paediatrician at the Tamale Teaching Hospital for the figures on casualties.

“Mr. Speaker, the President, on the floor of the House, said that we had recorded no deaths; the Minister also repeated on this floor that no deaths have been recorded. Mr. Speaker, that is again a palpable falsehood. According to the Northern Regional Paediatrician at the Tamale Teaching Hospital, Prof. Lumin Alhassan, we have recorded about five fatalities.”

The Juaboso MP further revealed that even though the government has managed to secure some vaccines from Nigeria, there is also a shortage of reagents to confirm tests at Noguchi, adding that “this is the state of the country; these are facts.”

Mr. Akandoh questioned how the government managed to secure vaccines from Nigeria if, indeed, the shortage was global, as claimed by the President.