Kenya Unable to Administer Pfizer Vaccines Donated by the US Due to Lack of Special Syringes

Nearly two weeks after receiving the first consignment of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, Kenya is yet to roll out the jab.

A senior official at the Health Ministry told Nation that they are unable to administer the vaccine due to a lack of special syringes.

While ruling out the option of buying the low dead space syringes, the ministry said it is relying on the US government to send a batch to be able to administer the jab.

"We were expecting the US to send us the syringes that are supposed to be used to administer the doses we received but they did not, and now we are waiting, as they had promised to do so," the official said.

Dr. Andrew Mulwa, the director for Medical Services, Preventive and Promotive Health at the ministry said they are hopeful the US will donate the special syringes before the expiry of the vaccines in December.

"The syringes and the doses were packed in two separate consignments, I think they are coming but I am not sure when," he said.

Unlike the regular syringe, a low dead space syringe has less space left between the needle and the plunger when it is fully pushed in. It also has a detachable needle.

The Pfizer vaccine normally contains five doses per vial, but a low dead space syringe, which expels more medicine from the space between a syringe's needle and plunger, can eke out six doses per vial.

Given that the Pfizer vaccine is precious, many countries are trying to get six doses per vial, hence vaccinate more people.

The syringes are a specialty product for which demand is usually low, but the rollout of the Pfizer vaccine set off a scramble for the syringes.

Kenya received the first consignment of 795,000 Pfizer doses on September 17th while the second batch of 210,600 doses arrive on Tuesday.