LSK pokes holes in State's October polio vaccination campaign

The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has poked holes in ministry of Health’s October 2024 polio vaccination campaign which resulted in the death of two children.

LSK President Faith Odhiambo said it appeared parents and guardians were largely unaware of the purpose of these specific vaccination campaigns and wondered why their already-vaccinated children needed yet another dose.

“The ministry seems to have provided clarifications on these concerns only after the vaccination exercise and the subsequently reported Adverse Events Following Immunisation,” she said.

The ministry conducted the first round of a polio vaccination campaign between October 2-6, 2024, targeting children in nine counties (Nairobi, Kiambu, Kajiado, Machakos, Turkana, West Pokot, Busia, Bungoma, and Trans-Nzoia) following confirmed cases of poliovirus in Kakuma (Turkana County), Kamukunji (Nairobi County), and Mbale (Uganda).

During this campaign, the ministry reported vaccinating 3,712,323 children, achieving 95 per cent of the target.

The second round of the campaign, focusing on the same nine counties, commenced on November 9, 2024 and will conclude on November 13, 2024.

In a statement, Odhiambo said clarifications should have been made to parents and guardians before the first round.

Odhiambo added that the role of parents, guardians, and caregivers in participating in healthcare decisions concerning those under their care must be acknowledged and protected.

“Reports indicate that in some schools, children were vaccinated without the knowledge or consent of their parents and/or guardians. This is both legally and ethically unacceptable,” she said.

She added that informed consent for vaccination or treatment must be obtained from an adult with parental responsibility over the minor. “This not only aligns with ethical principles but also mitigates legal risks that may arise from Adverse Events Following Immunisation.

“Further, since vaccinators are required to obtain information regarding underlying medical issues and vaccination history, parents and guardians are best positioned to provide this information,” she stated.

“Their participation and informed consent are imperative and should not be overlooked.”

Odhiambo called on the ministry to ensure it only deploys healthcare workers who are well- trained and qualified to inquire on the medical history of the targeted population and thus determine their suitability for vaccination;

She said the ministry must also adequately monitor Adverse Events Following Immunisation and competently and quickly institute mitigation measures (and treatment) to any adversely affected children and reliably escalate such incidents in a timely manner to the relevant authorities.

Director General for Health Patrick Amoth said the ministry received 23 reports of post-vaccination events following the polio vaccination campaign.

He noted that out of the 23 reported and investigated cases, 16 were non-serious ranging from generalised itchy rash, fever, conjunctivitis, body rashes, abdominal pain, and diarrhoea amongst others.

“Seven of the reported cases were serious presenting with generalised red and sometimes itchy bumps in the skin and fever, weakness of the lower limbs, convulsions, diarrhoea and vomiting and herpes zoster,” Amoth said.

He added that an analysis of the serious and non-serious events showed that 16 of the reported cases had resolved while five are in the process of resolving.