Senators have raised concerns over the shortage of essential newborn vaccines in medical facilities across the country, warning that the situation puts the lives of infants at risk.

Kajiado Senator Lenku Seki sought a statement from the Senate Committee on Health regarding current shortages, specifically Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) and Oral Polio Vaccines (OPV) in medical facilities across the country.

Seki said that there is a growing concern among parents and healthcare providers over the persistent unavailability of the critical vaccines, with BCG and OPV vaccines being vital in protecting infants against tuberculosis and polio continues to pose significant health risks.

“The current shortage undermines the National Immunisation Programme and threatens to reverse decades of progress in child health and disease prevention, particularly in vulnerable communities,” said Seki.

The Kajiado Senator sought to know the cause of the shortages, challenges, and logistics hurdles in the vaccine supply and distribution chain. 

He wanted to know the steps being undertaken by the Ministry of Health to resolve the shortage and restore vaccine availability in all affected facilities, and measures to strengthen the national vaccine supply system.

Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale stated that following the outbreak of COVID-19, lessons were drawn with the government establishing the Kenya Biovax Institute that was supposed to preside over the manufacture, packaging, and commercialisation of vaccines. 

“I would like the Senate Health Committee, over and above the issues raised by Seki to tell us the amount of investment that was put into establishment of the Kenya Biovax Institute, to give us the establishment in terms of human resource in that Institute and also tell us how much success has been achieved out of the envisaged functions of the Institute,” said Khalwale.

Khalwale said that as a medical doctor, he was saddened that children of the poor are now going to be brought down by polio, tuberculosis, diphtheria, and tetanus – preventable illnesses that the medical profession had been able to put down in the past.

According to Nominated Senator Beatrice Ogolla, at independence, there were three major things that the founding fathers promised to sort, which were disease, ignorance, and hunger – but it is a pity that after over 60 years of self-rule, little has changed. 

“Could it be that we are leaving our children to languish and die? coupled with this, I would like the committee to tackle the issue of immunisation financing, which is going to be a problem in this country, especially as donors are going to pull out by 2029, if we have a problem by now, it means we are running into a greater problem in future,” said Ogolla.

Esther Okenyuri, another Nominated Senator, said the shortage was rampant and wondered why the situation kept recurring. 

“It is sad that most of our children are now missing out on these very crucial vaccines, which are crucial at their developmental stages. We should not even be talking about this right now, the Ministry needs to stop every other thing and address the matter on infant vaccines,” said Okenyuri.