Kenya approves Chinese COVID-19 vaccines

A staff member checks the packaging quality of COVID-19 inactivated vaccine products at a packaging plant of the Beijing Institute of Biological Products Co, Ltd of the China National Biotec Group (CNBG), affiliated with Sinopharm, in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 25, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei)

Kenya has approved China's Sinopharm vaccine for use as the east African country intensifies the fight against COVID-19, targeting high-risk groups.

NAIROBI, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Kenya has approved China's Sinopharm vaccine as the country intensifies the fight against COVID-19 targeting high-risk groups, an official confirmed to Xinhua Thursday.

Willis Akhwale, head of COVID-19 Vaccine Taskforce in Ministry of Health, said that Pharmacy and Poisons Board, Kenya's medical regulatory body, has approved Sinopharm, which has been granted emergency use by the World Health Organization to boost ongoing inoculation against the virus.

"Kenya has approved Sinopharm. We have confidence in its efficacy since it has been certified by WHO," said Akhwale, adding that the east African nation had given a nod to China-made vaccine alongside three others as it targets to immunize 10 percent of the adult population by year's end.

As of Wednesday, Kenya had recorded 224,400 confirmed cases, with 2.8 percent of adults fully vaccinated.