Kenyans may get different jab as AstraZeneca runs out
George Kebaso @Morarak
The more than 750,000 Kenyans who have been vaccinated with AstraZeneca vaccine are likely to receive a different jab as their second dose due to the apparent global shortage of the former.
The country’s hopes of getting the second consignment of AstraZeneca seemed to dim yesterday, with the Ministry of Health revealing it had received information from the Serum Institute of India, the manufacturers, that it was having challenges to deliver the earmarked 2.5 million doses.
And as the government was mulling possibilities of bringing in alternative vaccines, it also announced a spike of Covid-19 cases at the counties as the five under partial lockdown — Nairobi, Kiambu, Nakuru, Kajiado and Machakos — began reporting a downward trend.
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said Serum had written to the ministry regarding the 2.5 million doses that were to be expected beginning of next month, explaining challenges it was experiencing.
“I am not holding my breath, but I think there will be a delay. We have to be patient because this is not a Kenyan problem but a problem with the global supply chain, which contributes to the shortage,” he said.
Kagwe said Serum has been the main source of vaccine and was going through certain challenges that are mainly around supply.
Explores possibilities
However, due to that scenario, Kagwe said the government is exploring possibilities of importing other vaccines such as Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson that are available on the African platform through Covax.
Should this succeed, the government intends to bring in a million doses of Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson each, indicating most of those who have received the first jab could likely get a different dose in their second inoculation.
“Should the talks be successful, a batch of a million each of the two vaccines will be brought into the country,” he said while receiving a donation from MultiChoice towards the fight against Covid-19.
MultiChoice donated protective equipment valued at Sh2.3 million to the Ministry of Health with Kagwe urging the private sector to continue donating.
He said this would help in backing up the 1.25 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine acquired through the Covax facility and another 100,000 doses that the Indian government donated to the country.
“It is better for you to vaccinate as many people as possible with the first dose instead of holding the vaccine because the first dose will give you a level of protection required for now,” he added.
The second batch of the vaccines was expected to be availed by end of May, but with recent unfolding events globally, it remains unclear when the vaccines will arrive.
In preparation for the importation of Pfizer vaccines, the CS disclosed that already, the government has started acquiring the requisite fridges to improve storage capacity of the vaccine that requires colder temperatures.
“We will have no more challenges as far as that is concerned,” he said.
The two vaccines require specialised storage facilities with capacity of temperatures as low as minus 80 degrees that are different from the existing Oxford’s AstraZeneca.
Most African countries are about to stop vaccination due to the shortage of AstraZenaca. Africa is supposed to have received 75 million doses from India, but has so far only received 12 million.
“The problem is that India is also in a crisis with the soaring cases of Covid-19, which means the flow of the vaccines will continue to be a major challenge,” he said.
Kenya has so far used about three quarters of the vaccines since the exercise started on March 5.
“We have consulted experts and they say there is no need to hold on to some vaccines so as to give people a second dose.
Instead, they advised that it is better to vaccinate as many people with the first dose as they wait for the second dose so that they can have some form of protection.”
If the number of weeks (eight) between the first and the second dose and the availability of vaccines were to align, the first recipient of the AstraZeneca vaccine is set to receive their second doses early next month.
And if the Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson vaccines are brought into the country, those who have received the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine will have to wait for advice on whether it is safe to receive a different jab.
“Some experts say that it is unwise to mix vaccines. But some countries are already planning to have people receive a different type from the one they received on their first dose.
We will wait until there is enough evidence from science on whether it is a good idea to have two types of the vaccine for the first and second dose,” he said.
