Kenya gets UK, Greece and Latvia Covid-19 vaccine boost
Kenya has received 410,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccines from the UK to help boost the country’s ongoing vaccination against Covid-19.
The shipment is part of a donation of 817, 000 doses secured by President Uhuru Kenyatta during his three-day visit to London this week, with the remaining half of the doses donated through the COVAX facility expected to arrive in the country within the next few days.
The country also expects to receive 1.7 million doses of Pfizer from the US, 235,000 doses of AstraZeneca from Greece and another 55,000 doses of AstraZeneca from Latvia.
Read also: Safaricom investors give nod to Ethiopia entry, Sh37bn final dividend payout
The Covax facility has also allocated Kenya 407,040 doses of AstraZeneca and 271,440 doses of Pfizer. This besides the 13 million doses of Johnson and Johnson, procured by the government through the AVAT-AU mechanism, whose delivery will start in August.
Receiving the consignment at the JKIA Chief Administrative Secretary Mercy Mwangangi thanked UK, stating that the doses arrived at an ideal time, as Kenya is engaged in a vigorous campaign to vaccinate her people.
“Our capacity for vaccine deployment remains robust. As is common knowledge our efforts have been greatly affected by supply constraints. When we receive donations like these from friends and well-wishers, it’s a deserved shot in the arm for our vaccination efforts,” Ms Mwangangi said.
To attain herd immunity, the country is supposed to vaccinate at least 60 per cent of the population.
Kenya targets to vaccinate at least 10 million people by Christmas this year and 26 million people by end of next year.
So far, according to the Health Ministry, a total of 1,723,727 vaccines have been administered across the country as part of the ongoing vaccination campaign, with the first doses being 1,062,314, and 661, 314 the second doses.
Meanwhile, CAS Mwangangi has expressed concern about the rising number of cases in the country, claiming that hospitals in the country, particularly in Nairobi, are overwhelmed.
“Nairobi continues to record high numbers, we need to do more as residents. Our medical facilitates especially in here in Nairobi are overstretched particularly for those seeking critical care,” Dr Mwangangi said.
