The alert of the stock shortage of the BCG vaccine had however already been given since December 2021 by public health professionals, so that orders could be made.
For several weeks, 90% of health facilities in the country have run out of BCG vaccine against tuberculosis. According to a source from the Expanded Vaccination Program (EVP), as of September 15, 2022, 300,000 doses of vaccine will be available and redistributed in certain health facilities. The alert of the stock shortage of the BCG vaccine had already been given since December 2021, so that orders could be made. The same source informs that with the last stock of vaccine doses released at the beginning of last July, only a few health facilities still have residual stocks.
According to the same source at EVP, broadcast by Cameroon Tribune this yesterday Tuesday, September 13, “BCG is done when we have already sent the money. We placed the order three months ago. The 300,000 doses ordered by EVP will arrive by plane on September 15 at 7:50 p.m.,” the source told EVP.
An order also placed by the government estimated at 1.6 million doses of vaccines that can last this year and also all of next year. The BCG vaccine has been out of stock since July 6, 2022 in Cameroon. This follows the production of Covid vaccines which now extends the delivery time for BCG vaccines. The main reason, according to some sources, is the long procedure for supplying so-called traditional vaccines, since the current priority is given to Covid-19.