An unfounded rumor entirely rejected by the Ministry of Health and Population, the Mother and Child Center, and the World Health Organization.
Verification Summary:
A misleading rumor circulating in the city of Bangui and its surroundings claims that “the vaccines administered to children at the Mother and Child Center have been expired for some time.” This is false information, according to specialists from the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) and the WHO contacted by AFC.
Detailed Verification:
Dr. Valentin Nibanga, head of the health promotion department at the Directorate of Primary Health Care, refutes this claim:
“This is a false rumor. The vaccines in various hospitals across the Central African Republic are in good condition, and neither the government nor the Ministry of Health would ever use expired products for public use. Our children are vaccinated with these same products. The vaccines available to the public are subsidized by the government to ensure people are protected, which is why they are free of charge.”
Augustin Dibert, Health Promotion and Communication Advisor at WHO Central Africa, adds: “Such rumors are a terrible way to undermine the country. We cannot administer expired vaccines to the population. We should support those who help the country, including the government, which advocates for vaccines to arrive in the CAR to assist the population. These vaccines are extremely expensive, but thanks to these efforts, they are provided free of charge to the public.” He concludes, “These are false rumors because expired vaccines cannot be sent to the CAR. When vaccines arrive, they are not immediately administered to children; there is a specific control service that examines these products before they are distributed.”
Rumors circulating in Bangui and its surroundings about the vaccines at the Mother and Child Center claim that they are expired. However, after verification by AFC, these claims are false.
By Boris Zékéma / AFC
This article is produced as part of the AFC-Internews partnership funded by USAID. However, the content does not engage the responsibility of the partner.
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