It’s safe, says livestock vaccine maker
A Llvestock veterinary officer vaccinates during a cow in Handidi Village, Kakamega County on January 15, 2025.
What you need to know:
- There have been concerns that the vaccination drive is linked to a methane reduction plan to reduce global warming.
- The government maintains that the vaccination drive is crucial for safeguarding Kenya's livestock industry.
The vaccines that will be used to protect livestock against foot and mouth disease from this week are safe, the national vaccine maker has said.
At the same time, the Kenya Veterinary Vaccine Production Institute (Kevevapi) has allayed fears that the vaccines contain foreign, harmful substances that can interfere with metabolic process of Kenyan stock.
This comes amid concerns that the vaccination drive is linked to a methane reduction plan to reduce global warming.
Kevevapi, the region's sole producer of foot and mouth disease vaccines, has been tasked with producing the vaccines needed for the vaccination drive but the Kenya Veterinary Association has voiced strong opposition to the timing of the campaign, arguing that the institute lacks capacity to produce the required vaccines.
Some concerns have also been raised about the sourcing of raw materials, with 90 per cent coming from outside Kenya's borders. This has led to speculation about hidden agendas behind the vaccination drive.
However, Kevevapi Managing Director Alex Sabuni dismisses these fears, explaining that while they import components like glucose from China, serum from Argentina, and aluminum hydroxide from France, the crucial antigen production happens locally at Kevevapi plant in Embakasi, Nairobi.
"If we were bringing ready-made antigen, then Kenyans could ask questions," he explains. "But we're manufacturing the antigen here. Our suppliers are traditional, renowned companies that all pharmaceutical companies buy from."
The Embakasi facility houses different antigens for the four strains of foot and mouth disease prevalent in East Africa: O, A, SAT-1, and SAT-2.
The institute has recently upgraded its capabilities, installing new bioreactors that simulate animal bodies for cell growth.
"We currently have three working bioreactors, with a fourth one being prepared," says Dr Sabuni. "These improvements will increase our antigen production fourfold, enabling us to expand our vaccine production to 60 million doses annually."
The institute has been operating at below 35 per cent capacity, with sales of just under a million doses in 2024 – covering less than 20 percent of Kenya's cattle population.
"Kevevapi is a commercial entity. This campaign is a blessing in disguise for Kevevapi," Dr Sabuni notes. "It's an opportunity for us to stretch ourselves and see our limits. We've never received such huge orders from anyone before."
While initial phases will use quadrivalent vaccines targeting all four strains, Dr Sabuni explains that the approach will become more targeted as the campaign progresses.
"In areas where we have clear documentation of specific serotypes occurring over the last decade, we'll customise the vaccine based on those serotypes," he says.
Kevevapi's role extends beyond Kenya's borders. The institute supplies vaccines to multiple African countries— including Zambia, Senegal, Mali, Sudan, and Cameroon, each requiring different strain combinations.
This regional experience, Dr Sabuni argues, positions Kevevapi well to handle the national campaign.
Critics, however, point to Kevevapi's past record of delayed deliveries, sometimes taking four to six months to service orders.
Dr Sabuni attributes these delays to Covid-related supply chain disruptions and emphasises that with proper planning, such delays can be avoided.
"Foot and mouth vaccine isn't a chemical you mix today and have ready tomorrow," Dr Sabuni explains. "We're growing cells here, and you cannot force cells to grow faster."
Despite the controversy, Dr Sabuni remains optimistic about the campaign's prospects.
"We don't need to postpone. Let the process start. It may begin with issues, but the hardest thing to do is to start. Once we begin, everything else will fall into place."
The government maintains that the vaccination drive is crucial for safeguarding Kenya's livestock industry.
The country's dairy sector has been particularly hard hit by recurring outbreaks. Recent episodes have seen Nandi, West Pokot, Kakamega, and Trans Nzoia Counties quarantined and livestock markets closed, dealing a severe blow to both commercial operations and smallholder farmers who depend on daily milk sales for their livelihoods.
The disease, which causes painful blisters in cattle's mouths and feet, has long devastated East African livestock herds— leading to significant economic losses for farmers and threatening food security in the region.
Infected animals typically stop eating due to mouth sores and become lame, resulting in severe weight loss and a dramatic decrease in milk production.
In breeding cattle, the disease can cause infertility and chronic health problems. The government argues that a coordinated national vaccination campaign is the only way to break this cycle of outbreaks and quarantines that has plagued the sector for decades.
The drive is expected to kick off in Likipia County, sometime this week.
