- The Pharmacy and Poisons Act stipulates that the President appoints the chair while the Health CS appoints the members to the board.
- The PSK president Louis Machogu on Friday said without a board in place, it would pose a challenge in reporting the adverse reactions of the vaccine.
Image: MAGDALINE SAYA
The Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya has called on President Uhuru Kenyatta to ensure the Pharmacy and Poisons Board has a fully constituted board.
This is after it emerged that the Pharmacy and Poisons Board has been operating without a board for two years now.
Medics now want the President to appoint a chair to the board.
The Pharmacy and Poisons Act stipulates that the President appoints the chair while the Health CS appoints the members to the board.
The PSK president Louis Machogu on Friday said without a board in place, it would pose a challenge in reporting the adverse reactions of the vaccine that has already been rolled out in the country, adding that the board should avail timely local data that would promote confidence in the rollout of the vaccines.
“We would like to have a chair of that board who comes in everyday and gives us updates how many people have reported adverse effects, to what extend are those adverse events, so that we have confidence in rollout of these vaccines,” Machogu said.
At least 279 adverse events have been reported with seven of them being severe cases under investigation by the PPB.
From the cases 229 were reported by healthcare workers with 51 being self-reported but have not been linked to the vaccine; 131 male cases and 148 female cases.
The ministry has however maintained that having an adverse event following the uptake of the vaccine does not imply a causative relationship between the vaccine and the event being experienced.
Lack of a board in place has raised questions on how the recently suspended Sputnik V vaccine met approval for the Emergency Use Authorisation.
Data shows that 527 Kenyans had so far received their first dose of the Sputnik V vaccine before the suspension out of the 75,000 doses that had been imported into the country.
“The Pharmacy and Poisons Board has been running the second year now without a board. The purpose of a board in addition to leadership and governance is it has special committees to review and approve medicines and health products including vaccines,” Machogu said.
He added: “So who is providing emergency authorisation for sputnik V vaccine in the country if there is no board. Who is going to protect our leaders the CEO and directors at the board against the negative pressure. We know business people have interests.”
The suspension of the private importation of vaccines and consequent suspension of the already approved licenses was arrived at after deliberations by the National Emergency Response Committee.
According to the Vaccines Deployment Taskforce chairman Dr Willis Akhwale, the decision was arrived at after it emerged that vaccinations were taking place in facilities not accredited by the Kenya National Practitioners and Dentists Council.
Akhwale said it was also noted that some of the vaccinations were not being reported into the Chanjo KE, the government platform that will ensure that all those vaccinated get a certificate upon taking the recommended two doses.
“Among other loopholes we realised if these things had to go on then Kenyans might be exploited. There were a lot of reports of people being vaccinated in their homes and you know the cold chain has to be maintained,” Akhwale said.
“With all that in consideration the suspension was to allow for very clear framework and transparency that would be able to monitor. The biggest challenge and fear was if we are not able to to trace the batches that are in the country and are being used,” he added.
The ministry has however maintained that the 527 individuals who had received the first dose of the Sputnik V vaccine will receive their second doses when the time comes.
-Edited by Sarah Kanyara