CS Mutahi Kagwe decries Covid-19 vaccine theft in hospitals

As Kenya struggles with the scarcity of coronavirus vaccines, reports have emerged of rogue practitioners stealing doses from hospitals and carrying out private vaccinations.

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe yesterday said there were reports of health workers stealing vaccines from designated vaccination centres and selling them to Kenyans.

“There are people carrying out health camps with stolen vaccines. There is no way an individual of whatever stature will have vaccines of their own unless they have stolen them,” said Kagwe.

The CS said some politicians were colluding with medical practitioners to carry out vaccinations in areas that are not designated points. This, he says, was being done to achieve political interest hence posing fatal public health.

“This is immoral and unacceptable to take political advantage of a health situation and cause death. We are warning people with intentions to pilfer vaccines from government facilities that you’ll face the law. Any health worker colluding with outsiders to steal vaccines without approvals will face disciplinary actions,” said Kagwe.

Other people are reported to be moving vaccines from one facility to another without approvals.

“This is dangerous because no one knows whether they are using the actual vaccines. Doses are issued for use in particular facilities and it is crimnal to move them from one part of the country to another and start carrying out vaccination drives,” said Kagwe.

The CS added that the Ministry of Health in collaboration with county health teams are solely responsible for the distribution of the vaccines.

“We have to ensure the maintenance of the cold chain system and the potency of the vaccine. Vacancies which are not stored in established cold chain facilities and transported to the vaccination posts are likely to lose potency and will not be of use to those who receive such doses,” said the CS.

He directed the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council to immediately begin deregistering institutions charging for vaccines as well as medical practitioners involved in the illegal vaccination process so they do not continue practicing.

Director-General for Health Dr Patrick Amoth explained that transport of vaccine without the stringent temperature required compromises the effectiveness hence posing potential danger of causing death or affluxes if administered in that state.

In a bid to stop the illegal vaccination campaigns, Kagwe ordered counties to submit weekly county logistics reports outlining doses received and those that have been used, doses balances as well as the number of people vaccinated for accountability purposes.

“Any facility that will not account for the doses issued will not receive any more vaccines and will be de-listed and de-registered with immediate effect. No vaccination should be done outside approved vaccination centres both in public or private health sectors” said the CS.

He added that the administration of the vaccines should be done by registered clinicians or nursing staff with recent training in the administration of the vaccine.

“Any other person doing so will be in contravention of the law because vaccinations that are not properly administered will lead to unnecessary side effects that could potentially result in deaths,” he added.