Germany aid pushes Kenya’s vaccine stock to over 16 million doses
Kenya’s stock of Covid-19 vaccines has hit 16 million doses after the Government of Germany delivered a shipment of 2.2 million doses on Thursday.
The 2.2 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from Germany were delivered under COVAX facility just a day after Denmark donated 266,400, Belgium 445,300 and 750,7000 doses of AstraZeneca were received from the Netherlands.
The latest consignments come amid heightened calls for mass vaccinations in the country even as the new virulent coronavirus variant, Omicron, circles the globe.
In Kenya, the Ministry of Health has issued a new directive to all Kenyans of eligible age to get a shot by December 21.
While delivering the State of the Nation Address to a joint sitting of Parliament on Tuesday, President Kenyatta revealed that 50 percent of COVID-19 doses in the country remain unused.
The Head of State urged Kenyans to get the shot, saying it’s the only weapon against the lethal virus amid the emergence of Omicron.
“The COVID-19 vaccines are in stock across our country and in all our counties and already with a daily average rate of over 100, 000 vaccinations, we have a much smaller target to meet within the next 25 days. I therefore once again call on all Kenyans to rally under the call of 25 days to Christmas to secure their vaccinations,” he said.
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He added: “This new variant remains unknown, so, it is better to err on the side of caution, by receiving our vaccinations we will have played our part in securing not only our lives but also in protecting the lives of those around us.”
With a daily vaccination rate of 100,000 doses a day, Kenya still hopes to vaccinate at least 10 million adult population by the end of the month and 27 million by the end of 2022.
As of December 1, data by the ministry shows that over 7.1 million people have been vaccinated, with the total first doses at over 4.4 million while the second dose at over 2.7 million.
The uptake of the second dose among those who received their first dose was at 57 percent and the proportion of adults fully vaccinated was 10.1 percent.
Meanwhile, Nairobi County is in the lead with 27.6 percent of the population fully vaccinated followed by Nyeri county at 21.8 percent, Kiambu 16.4, Laikipia 14.5, Taita Taveta 13.1 Murang’a 12.4, Uasin Gishu 12.1, Nyandarua 12, Kirinyaga 11.4, Kisumu 11.2, Nakuru 10.9, Mombasa and Kajiado 10.8 and Embu 10.3 percent respectively
Mandera County is at the bottom having fully vaccinated less than 2 percent of its population.
