Teachers urged to get Covid-19 shot ahead of May school reopening
All teachers in Kenya have been asked to get the Covid-19 vaccine irrespective of their age.
Speaking on Thursday, April 15, during the release of the 2020 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) results, Teachers Service Commission CEO Nancy Macharia said tutors, who have been participating in examination supervision will be given a priority to receive their first dose of the jab.
Today, the President has allowed us to ensure that all teachers will be allowed to take the Covid-19 vaccine their age notwithstanding. We’re appealing to all teachers therefore to ensure that they get the jab even as we reopen the schools, said Ms Macharia.
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The TSC boss said that 15 primary school teachers have so far succumbed to coronavirus disease.
“I wish to appeal and encourage examiners, who will be travelling for the marking exercise of the KCSE next week to ensure that they are vaccinated before their travel to the city,” said Ms Macharia.
As a way of protecting the vulnerable, the chief executive stated that teachers, who are 58 years and above have been working from home. According to the latest data from the Ministry of Health, nearly 100,000 teachers have already received their first dose of the vaccine.
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Meanwhile, a total of 616,166 people in Kenya have been vaccinated with the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Of those vaccinated, 133,000 are health workers, 50,000 are security officers, and 342,000 are members of the public, including those over the age of 58.
From the latest report by the Ministry of Health, 1,091 new Covid-19 cases have been recorded from a sample size of 5,958 tested in the last 24 hours, representing a positivity rate of 18.3 per cent. The total number of cases confirmed in Kenya now stand at 149,219.
In a press briefing on Thursday, April 15, Health Chief Administrative Secretary Dr Rashid Aman announced that four deaths had been reported in the last 24 hours, all of them having occurred on diverse dates within the last one month. The cumulative fatalities now at 2,424.
At the moment, 1,603 patients are currently admitted in various hospitals.
