The Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) released safety results of two Covid-19 vaccines administered in the country during the pandemic saying that the study which sought to identify effects incidents,type, severity and predictors of àdverse effects following immunization after vaccination (AEFI) of two Covid-19 vaccines antigen confirmed that their benefits outweighed their risks.
According to PPB,the study which was conducted between February 2023 and November 2023 in 17 sites comprising of both private and public health facilities which serves a population covering 15 counties enrolled 9238 respondents mostly female.
According to the study findings Age, vaccine type and underlying health conditions influenced the likelihood of adverse effects.
The incident rate was reported to be highest at dose one with older groups experiencing higher risks.
PPP explained that reporting suspected cases of adverse effects is a central pillar for being able to ascertain safety of medicines and vaccines in the country.
According to Dr Bramwel Tongola, the study sought to identify the incidents of adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) after a person received the Covid-19 vaccine, with the findings confirming the safety of the two vaccines studied- Johnson and Johnson and Pfizer.
“The study examined Johnson and Johnson and Pfizer because at the time of the study there were supply chain challenges and the two vaccines were the only ones in circulation in Kenya by the time of the study.”
PPB study confirmed that in every 100 people vaccinated, 32 reported side effects which were mild in nature which depended on the vaccine one received.
“The most frequently reported adverse effects include injection-site reactions such as a sore arm and more general symptoms, like headache, muscle pain, fever and chills. This reflected on what was already confirmed in other safety studies,”Tongola said.
Kenya alongside Ghana,Nigeria,South Africa and Ethiopia participated in the African Union Smart Surveillance study-AU 3s program as an initiative to strengthen medical products safety surveillance across Africa with a strong focus on Covid-19 vaccines.
The study showed no new safety signal reinforcing global safety data.
According to PPB,Kenya have systems in place to ensure that products authorised to be used in the country are safe, effective, and of good quality.
