AFRICAN STORIES

The Kapetwa Health Centre worker
who administered a vaccine after
which two children died on Tuesday
was not qualified, the Health ministry. It was claimed that he was a cleaner at the hospital.
Jepchumba Kemboi and Brian Kimutai
“developed complications, convulsed
and died immediately” after they were
vaccinated in Kotut village, Marakwet
East subcounty, the ministry said.
Medical services director Nicholas
Muraguri further said the vaccine
“was stored in a domestic fridge
which was used to store laboratory
reagents”.
“At the time of the adverse reaction to
the vaccine administration,
emergency care drugs were not
available,” he added in a statement to
newsrooms on Wednesday.
“This is against the standard
procedure while providing any
medical care during outreach and
within health facilities.”
Muraguri noted that the vaccine batch
from which the children’s dose was
obtained was the same as what was
distributed to depots countrywide in
January.
Noting that the batch has been in use
since then, he said “no adverse event
related to this lot of measles vaccine
had been reported” since then.
He said preliminary investigations
indicated it was unlikely that the
quality of the vaccine was
questionable.
Muraguri said the ministry sent a
team of vaccine pharmacovigilince
experts to help the county’s officers
conduct thorough investigations.
“The team will conduct postmortem on
the children and draw blood samples
for toxicology analysis,” he said.
He further said they will investigate
the circumstances under which a
support member of staff carried out
immunisation services.
“They will collect the suspect vaccine
vials and all others at the facility for
further testing at the ministry’s
headquarters,” he added.
Noting that the “vaccine and storage
and administration procedures were
contravened”, Muraguri asked health
workers to stick to set standards and
procedures.
He assured that all vaccines used
underwent rigorous quality and safety
assurance tests and are safe.
Parents and caregivers should
continue utilising routine
immunisation services, he added.
Muraguri said the two children, aged
nine months, were vaccinated
alongside seven others, who received
oral polio vaccines.
He said the seven did not show any
signs of adverse reactions but were
rushed to Chesongoch Health Centre
for observation.
He said they were discharged in good
health four hours later.
On Tuesday, MP Bowen Kangogo said
the incident indicates that county
governments lack the capacity to
manage heath services.