JUST IN: Parliament Passes National Vaccine Institute Bill

Parliament has approved the National Vaccine Institute Bill, 2022.

The National Vaccine Institute would be created as part of the bill to oversee and manage the development, production, and research of vaccines and serums, as well as other related activities.

President Akufo-Addo announced in his 26th Covid-19 update that the government has committed $25 million to the creation of a National Vaccine Institute, which will oversee the production of vaccines to address local and global requirements.

“The law will help in dealing with circumstances where purchased vaccines are not delivered on time,” Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, the ranking member of Parliament’s Health Committee, said in a statement to the press.

“In principle, I have nothing against the establishment of a vaccine institute. It is a good move. The object of the Act will be obeyed because it says, we are going to research, develop and do the manufacturing the vaccines in the country,” he added.

Furthermore, he continued to emphasize that:

“I do not want to see a situation where we will resort to what we call fill and finish, which is just the packaging of the vaccine in the country.

So now, the situation where a government will be paying another country for vaccines and in some cases not getting our money will be prevented. So in essence, the Bill has been passed.”

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