• Importation of unauthorized vaccines contravenes the Medicines and Allied Substances Act.
• Ministry of Health did not undertake any tendering process for procurement of vaccines.
• The Ministry has only received vaccines through the COVAX Facility.

Ministry of Health has re-affirmed its commitment to ensuring transparency and accountability in the acquisition, receipt and distribution of quality, safe and effective Covid-19 vaccines.

In a statement, Permanent Secretary for Technical Services Dr. Kennedy Malama commended Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) for seizing and destroying a consignment of 10,000 doses of a suspected Covid-19 vaccine imported into the country without authorization.

Dr. Malama further clarified that the said vaccines were not ordered by the Ministry of Health, as the Ministry did not undertake any tendering process for procurement of vaccines at which Chrismar Earthmoving Equipment was selected.

He said the Ministry has only received vaccines through the COVAX Facility and through donations from bilateral partners, adding that government also placed an order of 4, 400,000 doses of Johnson and Johnson vaccine through the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT), an initiative of the African Union (AU).

Dr. Malama disclosed that the procuring agency under this initiative is United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

He stated that the first batch of vaccines under the AVAT facility consisting of 129,500 doses of Johnson and Jonson vaccines is expected in the country early this month.

“The Ministry of Health developed guidelines for private sector involvement in the COVID-19 vaccination programme following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Zambia Private Sector Alliance.”

“This is intended to ensure private sector contribution to the COVID-19 vaccination programme is done in a manner that safeguards the integrity of the campaign. Government is finalizing modalities for private sector participation in the vaccine acquisition through the AVAT facility,” Dr. Malama said.

Dr. Malama warned against any unauthorized importation of vaccines into the country as this contravenes the Medicines and Allied Substances Act Number 3 of 2013.

He further called on citizens to take advantage of the on-going Vaccination programme and get vaccinated in order to get fully protected against the virus.

On Tuesday, Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) seized and destroyed a consignment of unauthorized vaccines named Hayat-Vax which were imported by Chrismar Earthmoving Equipment and purported to have been manufactured by Gulf Pharmaceuticals in the United Arab Emirates.

The Vaccines were valued at USD150, 000 equivalent to 10,000 thousand doses.

Meanwhile, Zambia has in the last 24 hours recorded 183 new Covid-19 cases out of 6, 196 tests conducted with 3 new related deaths and 280 discharges.