‘They could be vaccinating you with water!’ CS Kagwe raises red flag over clinics charging for COVID-19 jab

The Ministry of Health on Thursday warned Kenyans against engaging institutions or individuals who purport to be in the business of selling legitimate COVID-19 vaccination certificates.

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe indicated that some health facilities are charging individuals to acquire the COVID-19 vaccine, which is offered free of charge in the country.

This even as the ministry grapples with the challenge of acquisition of another shipment of the COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccines for the second dose vaccination schedule.

“The DCI has moved in on some facilities that have been illegally vaccinating people for COVID-19 and charging them. I would like to tell Kenyans that such exercises going on are illegal,” said CS Kagwe.

According to the government plan, the AstraZeneca dose is offered free of charge in health facilities accredited by the Ministry of Health.

“There is every possibility that you’re even being vaccinated with water and paying for it. We have seen on social media people advertising, some are even issuing fake certificates that presume you can even use them to travel,” added the CS.

So far, only 1,386 persons have received their second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine; among them being 1,202 health workers, 69 security officers, 20 teachers and 11 persons who fall in the 58 years and above category.

While the vaccination program continues, the ministry is still concerned with the upsurge in numbers recorded in Kisumu and the surrounding counties especially after the identification of the COVID-19 Indian variant as well as a case of a combination of the Indian and British variants.

“We expect that the county governments in those areas are going to enhance their preparations…they need to stock oxygen, prepare with sufficient PPEs to be ready for any eventuality that we may have in the country as a result of the detection of the Indian variants,” stated CS Kagwe.

With plans to expand testing in those areas to help the ministry clearly understand the positivity rate in the region, the government of Japan donated 75,000 PCR tests to boost the ministry’s plan.