Vaccine shortage persists despite Health Ministry assurances of sufficient supply

At least 10 counties are yet to receive children's vaccines including BCG, Oral Polio, Tetanus-Diphtheria, and Measles Rubella, which have been out of reach since last year, investigations by the Nation have established.

The counties include Bomet, Narok, Turkana, Wajir, Isiolo, Mandera, Garissa, Uasin Gishu, Marsabit, Bungoma, Kakamega, Tana River, Homa Bay and Isiolo.

The Ministry of Health (MoH) announced that it had procured Sh1.25 billion worth of routine childhood vaccines early last month.

"As of today, we are pleased to announce the receipt of the following vaccines:1,209,500 doses of Measles Rubella vaccines, 3,032,000 doses of Oral Polio Vaccines (bOPV), 1,000,000 doses of Tetanus-Diphtheria vaccines and 2,120,000 doses BCG vaccines," the Principal Secretary State Department for Medical Services, Harry Kimtai, then said, while assuring that the vaccines that were received at the time were being processed for urgent distribution to the nine regional vaccine stores across the country. 

MoH explained that the vaccine shipment was delivered to Kenya by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) supply division. The government said the delay was due to a Sh1.5 billion debt to UNICEF and GAVI, which usually supply the much-needed vaccines to the country.

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Speaking to the Nation in an interview, John Kibet, the father of an infant boy who has yet to be immunised, said he has been traversing various dispensaries across Bomet County looking for the vaccines, but to no avail.

"My son was born on December 17, last year. The health facility told us they had no BCG vaccine. It's been six months since my boy has yet to get that vaccine. In June this year, as he clocked six months old, we went looking for the Rotavirus vaccine with the hope that BCG would now be available as the government said it had been procured, but there was nothing," he told the Nation.

"We have visited several dispensaries as late as yesterday within Bomet county, and still, there are no vaccines," he added.

In Saku, Marsabit County, Halima Abdi, 38, gave birth eight months ago.

Also Read: Alarm as public hospitals run short of common drugs

"I am just from Badassa dispensary. There are no vaccines for my baby; we have been told to wait and that they will let us know," she told the Nation while disclosing that she has already travelled to health facilities in Laisamis and North Horr.

"I have yet to get the jabs for my child; I give up," a frustrated Halima, now a mother of two, said.

In Shikokho, Kakamega South, Mary Nabutola says her seven-month-old baby is among those who have yet to receive a single dose of any childhood vaccine.

According to the mother of three, she went to Kakamega County General Hospital and was told to be patient as she would be informed when the jabs would be available.

"That was last month after I visited several health facilities where I immunised my other children, who are now grown up. You see, I can't afford to spend money on the road, moving from place to place looking for those vaccines despite knowing how important jabs like BCG are. Will I spend money on food or fare? "she asked.

Also Read: How mothers are left to die at night, weekends and holidays in referral hospitals

At Kangamojoj dispensary in Turkana North, about 21 newborn mothers are lining up.

"They arrived as early as 6am and have been desperately looking for childhood vaccines.

"We used to have them, but recently ran out about three months ago," a medic, who has been serving the mother but is not authorised to speak to media, disclosed, adding that the jabs the government recently procured are yet to be delivered to the facility.

"This health facility is the go-to place for immunisation within a radius of 100 kilometres. When we don't have it, the probability that any other facility around us has childhood vaccines is slim to none," he told Nation on Monday.

"We largely rely on clinical officers to administer the doses, but they have been on strike for the last 92 days. I don't know who will administer them even if the vaccines finally arrive here, "he said.

In its immunisation policy guidelines, the health ministry highlights that all injectable vaccines must only be administered by duly registered clinicians.

Ministry response

Responding to the Nation in a telephone interview, Dr Rose Jalang'o, the Head of the National Vaccine and Immunisation Program (NVIP) at MoH, said that mothers could be going to facilities that do not offer immunisation services.

"In Kenya, we have almost 15,000 health facilities; out of the 15,000, only 8,000 offer immunisation services. You might be going to a facility that does not offer immunisation and then you say vaccines have not arrived," she said.

The head of the country's immunisation programme said she has contacted some of the 10 counties Nation investigated.

"They want a list of the health facilities these mothers went to; if vaccines have not arrived at a certain health facility, maybe it's because they do not have the equipment needed to store vaccines," Dr Jalang'o said.

The nation also sought an explanation from Health CS Susan Nakhumicha and PS Hillary Kimtai.

"We have vaccines in the country, let me follow up," PS Kimtai said.

"Share with me the contact information of the parents looking for these jabs," CS Nakhumicha told Nation.  

While reacting to Dr. Jalang'o's sentiments, Ms Halima said, "This is not my first time giving birth and raising a child. I have delivered and vaccinated. I know where I got the vaccines last time; I went back there, and they were not available. Does she mean that we mothers are so foolish to tell you that we are unable to find vaccines? We even have WhatsApp groups and talk to each other about where to get what."

A senior official at the health ministry then told the Nation that the government had until July 1 to clear the debt owed to GAVI and UNICEF, which was accrued in the last financial year, before the two agencies could release their con-financing portion of Sh8 billion for this financial year.