Many parents and caregivers with babies within the vaccine’s target group are refusing to avail the babies for it. This is due to some misinformation about the malaria vaccine. The World Health Organisation (WHO) in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service (GHS) launched the RST, S malaria vaccine, a complementary malaria control tool in Ghana in May 2019. Over 275, 000 children are reported to have received their first dose of the vaccine in the three countries since last April. Children are to take four doses to complete the full cycle of the vaccination process. In 2019, a total of 1,430 children took the first dose (RTS, S1) while the child is six months old (2yrs-old) The 1st dose is taken when the child was six months (Rts, S2) is taken while the 2nd dose is when the children are two years old (S2) The 3rd dose is at the child’s second dose (S3) is at nine-months-old (9-months) The 4th dose is taking when the child is 24-months old (RTC, S4) is taking at the children is two years and two months.
Mr. Amoah said a total of 2,073 children came for the first time in the first quarter of the year. He said when parents or caregivers brought their children for the. first doses, their details were taken, and they are not showing up on their next date. He explained that only a section of those who take the first. doses come for the fourth, he said, were among those who have so far completed the third. years under five years. The health workers in the municipality recorded 19,398 confirmed cases, with 5,315 being children under. five years old. He noted that only one-third of the children in the area had been given the first few doses of malaria medication. Mr. AmoH said that the health workers had so far reached out to trace the defaulters to their homes through their ‘home visit’ programs. He expressed the concern that when the next date was due, they were not showing. up.
The duration between the third and the fourth doses was long, some parents might relocate to different area. He said, for instance, that the dropout rate for the malaria vaccine in the municipality was more than 10 per cent.