Nurse arrested over killer measles vaccine

Police in Elgeyo Marakwet County have arrested the nurse who administered the measles vaccine that caused the death of two children aged nine months.

On Tuesday evening, Elgeyo Marakwet Governor Alex Tolgos issued a directive to stop the vaccination exercise in the area following the demise of the two children.

Tolgos said he had ordered a cessation of all measles immunization exercises in the county and dispatched a medical team comprising the CEC Health, County Pharmacist, Director Public Health, Marakwet East Medical Officers and support health staff to the area to ascertain what could have gone wrong.

Tolgos exonerated his county government from blame saying the vaccine was procured from the division of vaccines and immunization which is under the Ministry of Health.

The Governor explained that all vaccines used by the county are sourced from Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) which is a State Corporation under the Ministry of Health.

He said the vaccines administered in Marakwet were procured by the ministry through its Division of Vaccines and Immunization (DVI) in conjunction with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

“The County Government then distributes the vaccines together with our drugs and non-pharmaceuticals to our facilities for use,” he said.

The incident, involving the death of two children, occurred as routine outreach vaccination against measles in the area was ongoing.

“Only four children were taken for observation and discharged after it was established they were not in any danger,” noted Tolgos.

Tolgos said investigations that had commenced seeking to establish whether the problem was with the vaccines or the mode of administration. He called on the Ministry and KEMSA to join the investigations.

“A comprehensive report will be issued once we get to the bottom of what happened. For now, we join the families of those affected by this tragedy in mourning the deceased.”

This is not the first incident in which routine vaccinations or injections have had problems.

In July, a nurse and two other hospital workers were suspended following an incident where 18 children became paralyzed after getting injections in Teso North.

The children later regained movement.