Kenya, UK recognise Covid-19 vaccines administered in either of the countries

A needle is filled from a phial of Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine [Owen Humphreys, Reuters]

The United Kingdom and Kenya governments say they recognise Covid-19 vaccines administered in either of the countries.

In a joint statement on Tuesday, September 21, the two countries said they are in the process of formulating ways to validate Covid-19 certificates issued in either of the nations.

The vaccines recognised by the UK and Kenya are Oxford AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson.

“It is false to state that vaccines administered in either country are unapproved,” said Kenya’s Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe and British High Commissioner to Kenya Jane Marriott in their joint statement.

Sinopharm, manufactured in China, was not on the list.

On Saturday, September 18, Kenya received 200,000 doses of Sinophram from China. The vaccine is taken in two shots administered 28 days apart.

On Friday, September 17, the UK Government announced it had removed Kenya and seven other countries from its Covid-19 red list, which had been in place since April 2021.

The other nations are Egypt, Bangladesh, Maldives, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Turkey.

The UK had arrived at the decision following concerns about new Covid-19 variants, such as those first identified in South Africa and Brazil.