Africa CDC Slams Moderna’s Kenya Reversal

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has criticized Moderna Inc. for halting plans to build a $500 million vaccine manufacturing facility in Kenya, initially announced in October 2021. This decision came despite a previously signed memorandum of understanding with the Kenyan government in March 2022. The reversal, attributed to a decreased demand for COVID-19 vaccines in Africa, has been denounced by the Africa CDC as demonstrating a lack of genuine commitment to vaccine equity. The agency emphasizes the importance of local production to improve access to vaccines and enhance regional health security, urging vaccine manufacturers to support local capacities, aligning with the African Union’s goal to localize vaccine production significantly by 2040.