By Morara Kebaso
Wanjiku has never experienced what she has gone through in the past two weeks. She moved from one health facility to the other, in search of immunisation for her 12 months-old twin babies.
She couldn’t imagine that even Level 5 Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital in Embakasi West sub county could not have a single dose of Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG), for prevention of Tuberclosis in children.
On Monday morning, she returned to the hospital as instructed on Friday, but all in vain. The vaccines had not been restored.
“If I get money, I will seek this service in a private hospital,” she said as her hopes to get the jab in a public health facility start to wane.
She has to gone to virtually all health centres in Makadara; Embakasi and Kamukunji subcounties, without success. Meanwhile, she is living by hope. Her babies are going to be immunised soon.
The situation of vaccine stock-out in Nairobi is not isolated where Tetanus and polio vaccines have been off the cold chain storage for the last four months, it’s a countrywide situation, recently blamed on the debt the government owes a global supplier.
“We have not had vaccines for months now,” a senior healthcare worker at MamalUcy hospital offered, however, anonymously.
At the Mowlem Health Centre, a Level 2 dispensary in Embakasi West sub county, responding anonymously, another healthcare workers who also sought not be directly quoted as she is not authorised to speak to the media confided that the facility has not had the polio and Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccines, since end of January.
The BCG vaccine is crucial for the prevention of TB among infants.
“I can’t imagine a baby contracting Tuberclosis because there are no BCG jabs,” said a senior government official, who cannot be quoted authoritatively due to his current position, but has had an opportunity to serve in a critical department at the Ministry of Health in the past.
“I mean if I was still working in the department, I will do all I can to ensure that we have the life-saving vaccines. I will throw tantrums, refuse to work, until they make orders,” said the senior officer who admitted that for the first time in the history of Kenya, the country is in dire shortage of the foundation immunisation jabs.
“We have never witnessed such a situation. This is happening for the first time that the country is experiencing a shortage of vaccines, practically all of them, and we need an urgent solution,” he said, even as the country has to wait a little longer to start producing its own vaccines.
Kenya Biovax Institute (KBI) Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Michael Lusiola told journalists in Nairobi last week that the institution tasked with the local manufacturing of the inoculation jabs that production will prioritise infant vaccines when it starts operations in 2029.
“Even with the Fill & Finish when we start basic operations in 2027, we will prioritise the children vaccines,” he said during the formal launch of the Health Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Resilience Project (HEPRR) for Eastern and Southern Africa (AFE), which aims to strengthen sustained, comprehensive, and transformational impact on health emergency preparedness, response and resilience.
Last week, Health Cabinet Secretary, Susan Nakhumicha confirmed the shortages, and attributed it to an outstanding claim of unpaid funds, meant to facilitate the distribution. It’s understood the government owes a global supplier between Sh1.5 billion to Sh2 billion.
“Yes, we have a challenge, but it’s being worked on,” the CS said at Afya House.
Nakhumicha revealed that she had reached out to her National Treasury counterpart, Prof. Njuguna Ndung’u and Medical Services Principal Secretary, Harry Kimtai over the issue, and it was acknowledged that the matter requires urgent attention.
“My Ministry is liaising with The National Treasury and Economic Planning, to ensure there is no gap in supply of the vaccines reported to be out of stock,” she said.
The vaccines given to newborns under the Kenya Expanded Programme on Immunization (KEPI) are supplied by the United Nations International Children’s’ Emergency Fund (UNICEF), and Gavi- the Vaccine Alliance.
“It has come to our attention therefore that counties also need to order,” the CS said, taking note that the Ministry is also being careful so that the country does not completely run out of all the vaccines.
Some of the vaccines reporting stock out include Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), Measles, Polio, and rotavirus and tetanus vaccine.
These particular jabs are given to newborns to provide immunisation against six killer diseases of childhood, namely tuberculosis, polio, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus and measles.
The National Vaccines Initiative Programme (NVIP) indicated the shortages had been occasioned by the government having not paid the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) to supply.
“Annually the government has a ceiling of Sh596 million ($4.5 million) for the vaccines through UNICEF, which has not been paid,” said acting director general for Health, Dr. Patrick Amoth when asked about the stock-outs, indicating this could be the main reason the supply was stopped.
Currently, vaccines listed for routine immunization in the country, according to the NVIP, include BCG for tuberculosis, Inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) for poliomyelitis, Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV), Rotavirus for rotavirus and diarrhoea, DPT for diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus, Measles Rubella.
Others include pneumococcal vaccine, oral cholera vaccine, HPV for cervical cancer, Malaria vaccine to prevent Malaria, and Yellow Fever vaccine.
The Centre for Behaviour Change and Communication (CBCC)is partnering with UNICEF on immunisation programme targeting 31 counties including; Mombasa, Lamu, Taita-Taveta, Meru, Tharaka-Nithi, Embu, Kitui, Machakos, Makueni, Nyandarua, Nyeri, and Kirinyaga.
Others are; Murang’a, Kiambu, Trans Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo-Marakwet, Nandi, Laikipia, Nakuru, Kericho, Bomet, Kakamega, Vihiga, Busia, Siaya, Kisumu, Homa Bay, Migori, Kisii, and Nyamira Counties.
The output is supporting a vaccine multimedia campaign targeting caregivers and adolescents as part of an integrated routine immunization system to promote Primary Health Care.
In this programme, the organisations assert that accountability to Affected Populations ensures programs generate meaningful, relevant results and outcomes based on specific needs, priorities, and preferences.
Health advocates under the umbrella of Health NGO Network (HENNET) and other health Civil Society Organisations including Stop TB Partnership Kenya have raised the concern with the ministry on the shortage.
“We write to bring to your attention a matter of urgent concern regarding the potential outbreak of measles and reported vaccine stock-outs in various regions of Kenya,” reads a section of the letter written by Hennet, addressed to the Ministry of Health.
In the letter written by executive director Hennet, Dr Margaret Lubale, vaccine shortage and stock outs is alarming.
“There have been alarming reports of vaccine stock-outs and shortage of some routine immunisation antigens such as BCG, Rota and Oral Polio Vaccine and measles in various health facilities,” notes the letter.
As a preventive measure, the stakeholders want the ministry to expedite the procurement and distribution of measles’ vaccines to replenish depleted stocks and ensure uninterrupted vaccination programs.
According to the stakeholders’ failure to allocate enough budget for immunisation will jeopardise the ability of the National Vaccine Immunization Program (NVIP) to timely and urgently procure vaccines, affecting the Ministry of Health’s efforts to carry out any campaign.
The vaccination program is heavily funded by GAVI and other partners.
