Pharmacy board denies woman died from Covid-19 vaccine complications

The Pharmacy and Poisons Board has denied that a Kenyan vaccinated with Astra-Zeneca died of post-jab complications.

In a statement on Wednesday signed by the chief executive, the PPB said all 279 vaccinees who had difficulties are now well.

The board sought to clarify the death reports, saying it was a misreporting of an adverse event following immunisation (AEFI) as fatal.

The PPB said out of the 279 reported cases, 272 were mild and resolved within a short period.

"All reported serious AEFI are under investigation and none of them has resulted in a fatal outcome."

The board said that indeed, seven serious AEFI have been reported.

It called upon the public to report to PPB any suspected reaction, including death, for following up and investigation.

The statement came after an official from the board said that investigations are underway in a case in which a woman in Uasin Gishu died in Uasin Gishu after receiving the jab.

But Dr. Peter Ikamati, Deputy Director, PER, at the PPB told local media that the woman's death could have been caused by her miscarriage, not necessarily the AstraZeneca jab.

He said when a severe case is reported, PPB will follow up within 24 hours.

About 33 per cent of residents who have been vaccinated against Covid-19 live in Nairobi, Health CS Mutahi Kagwe has said.

As of Wednesday (April 6), 339,893 residents had received the AstraZeneca jab, the CS said in a statement to newsrooms today. Those who took the Sputnik V vaccine number 228.

After Nairobi, the top counties with a high uptake of vaccines are Nakuru (seven per cent) and Uasin Gishu (six per cent).

According to the CS, the Lamu county vaccine uptake has remained low since the exercise rolled out. Only 248 people have been vaccinated in the county.

This comes as 1,523 people tested positive for Covid-19 in Kenya in the last 24 hours, pushing the national caseload to 141,365.

The cases were from a sample size of 7,423, posting a positivity rate of 20.5 per cent. From the new cases, 1,432 are Kenyans while 91 are foreigners. Men numbered 842 against 681 women who tested positive for Covid-19 in the last 24 hours.

The youngest in the pool of positive cases in Kenya today was a three-month-old child while the oldest was aged 105.

Kenya's cumulative tests now stand at 1,530,736.