Nairobi, Kenya –  On 25th September 2024, the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB), in collaboration with the National Vaccines and Immunization Program (NVIP) and CIHEB-Kenya, disseminated findings from the 2023 COVID-19 Cohort Event Monitoring Study. The results reaffirm that COVID-19 vaccines are a critical tool in curbing the pandemic, with safety data showing the vaccines were generally well-tolerated.

The study highlighted that most adverse events following immunization (AEFIs) were mild or moderate, resolving within 48 hours. Common AEFIs included headaches, injection site pain, general malaise, fever, dizziness, and cough. Predictors for experiencing AEFIs were linked to age, vaccine type, and pre-existing conditions.

Kenya’s participation in the AUDA-NEPAD African Union Smart Safety Surveillance Program (AU-3S) further confirmed vaccine safety, with no new signals detected when data from five African nations were analyzed. The event was presided over by Dr. Ahmed Mohammed,Director of Health Products and Technologies at PPB.

.