NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 31 – The Ministry of Health on Wednesday warned distributors of the Sputnik V vaccine against marketing it at a time when suppliers had begun administering the jab to a section of Kenyans including Deputy President William Ruto and his family.
Willis Akwale, Chairperson of the Taskforce on Vaccine Deployment and Vaccination, noted that while the vaccine had received emergency use authorization, it had not received market authorization.
He warned that any distributor who markets the vaccine risks losing their license adding that the Pharmacies and Poisons Board (PPB) had already summoned distributors of the vaccine and given them a warning in writing.
“The PPB has already summoned the distributor of the vaccine and they have given them a warning, if that marketing continues, they will be in contravention of the rules and the emergency use authorization can be withdrawn,” Akwale said.
He said the task force was working on a framework that will guide private sector participation in the vaccination program countrywide.
The vaccine deployment taskforce head noted that the vaccines will require stringent regulations and they must be locally registratered with the board.
“In view of current shortage of vaccines globally, the government has allowed vaccines which have received WHO authorization into the country.”
During importation, he said the distributor must share the vaccines’ batch number with PPB before the issuance of a permit.
“The vaccines that will be deployed must also report through the country’s CHANJO system which monitors the side effects of the vaccines,” he added.
Akwale made the remarks a day when the country reported 1,404 cases after 9,219 samples were analysed within 24 hrs with the positivity rate standing at 16.3 per cent.
Health Chief Administrative Secretary Mercy Mwangangi, during the briefing, noted that another 389 patients recovered over the same period including 230 who were under home-based care
The country’s COVID-19 death toll rose to 2,153 after six more patients succumbed to the disease
Mwangangi appealed to Kenyans to wait patiently for their turn to get vaccinated amid increased jostling to get the vaccines which have been prioritized to health workers, teachers, security personnel, and the elderly.
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