The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has assured Ghanaians that the COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in the country are safe, effective, and meet required quality standards.
The Chief Executive Officer of the FDA, Mrs Delese Mimi Darko, said no safety or efficacy requirements were compromised during the approval process, although the emergency use authorisation pathway allowed for faster review due to the urgency of the pandemic.
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She explained that the two vaccines approved at the time were Covishield, the AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, and Sputnik-V produced by Generium in Russia.
Mrs Darko said the FDA, which is recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a Maturity Level Three regulatory agency, has strong systems in place to ensure the quality and safety of medical products, including vaccines.
She noted that the emergency use approval process was designed to make critical medical products available quickly during public health emergencies while maintaining safety requirements.
The FDA CEO added that the AstraZeneca vaccine supplied to Ghana was produced using the same quality standards and manufacturing processes used internationally.
She also cautioned that, like all vaccines, COVID-19 vaccines may cause some common side effects as the body develops immunity.
