State bans the recently imported Russian-manufactured Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine by Private entities in Kenya.
On Tuesday, The Ministry of Health acting Director-General of Health Dr Patrick Amoth who was appearing before the Health Committee said the vaccine had not been approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
“Any pre-qualified vaccine approval takes less than a week for emergency authorization use, it takes a longer time for a vaccine that is not pre-qualified by the WHO, since there are set out steps that have to be followed for such an approval,” Dr Amoth said.
He, however, remarked that there is a likelihood of a vaccine being used without approval by the WHO provided it had passed other rigorous tests.
Dr Amoth noted that the Moderna vaccine-widely used in the United States- was also yet to be approved by the WHO, but it had passed efficiency and safety tests in America.
Meanwhile, the Russian Embassy in Kenya in a statement dated March 29, said there is no agreement between the government of Kenya and Russia for the importation and use of the Sputnik V vaccine.
The embassy said the vaccine had been imported for use in Kenya by a private entity and advised the entities to follow all guidelines and rules set by the government and the Ministry of Health.
According to Health CAS Dr Mercy Mwangangi, the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine had not met all the necessary regulatory approvals for use in the country.
Post a Comment
What is your say on this