KUMACA students to be vaccinated after 3 deaths

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) is expected to vaccinate students of Kumasi Academy (KUMACA) in the Ashanti Region after three died from alleged meningitis last week.

Speaking to Oman News on Monday, the Director of Public Health at the Ghana Health Service, Dr Badu Sarkodie said the Service is awaiting the autopsy reports to establish the cause of death.

He said because there are “several types of meningitis” it will be difficult for the Service to carry out the vaccination exercise when the cause of death is not yet clear.

At least three KUMACA students have died, in separate incidents, from what unconfirmed reports said was meningitis.

The tragic incidents bring to six the number of students who have died this year in the school.

But school authorities have been tight-lipped on the recent deaths. Parents and guardians have expressed worry over the development, with others threatening to withdraw their wards from the school.

But the Ghana Health Service has asked for the autopsy reports on the three bodies in order to undertake a vaccination exercise.

Dr Sarkodie explained the report will help the vaccination team to “be very specific” in the course of the exercise by using the right vaccine. Meanwhile, he has asked the school to come out with an interim “specific operative procedures and guidelines” to avoid the spread of meningitis.

He said discussions must also be held with students in the morning regarding their conduct in school.

But the new guidelines must be communicated in “such a way that it will not create panic among the students,” Dr Sarkodie cautioned.

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