Mombasa County on has rolled out the booster vaccine as a way of curbing the spread of Covid-19 disease in the region.
Public health chief officer Pauline Oginga said that the booster vaccine will be administered to people who took their second dose six months ago.
“Not everybody who has been vaccinated is eligible to receive the booster vaccines, this only applies to people who received their second dose of vaccine six months ago,” she said.
Oginga said that the booster vaccine do not have any negative effects in the body and therefore people should not be scared of going to receive it.
“People react to these vaccines differently, we have those who do not experience any effect after being vaccinated and we also have those who experience pain like headache and fever for two to three days. When any person experience the side effects, they are advised to take Panadol because the pain only shows that the body is building the immunity or the anti-bodies against the virus,” she said.
She said that Mombasa County was given a target of vaccinating 402,000 people and so far a total number of 292,000 people have been vaccinated in the region.
Out of the total number of people who been vaccinated, 200,000 people have received the first dose, 92,000 people have so far been fully vaccinated.
The health department also rolled out vaccination to children aged 15 years and above with an aim of reaching to all school going children.
Oginga said that some parents have already taken their children for vaccination.
She called upon more parents to ensure that many children as possible are vaccinated for their safety as schools prepares to open from tomorrow.
“We are really urging the parents to take the responsibility and have their children who are eligible vaccinated. This will help in protecting them from being infected as they will be going back to school and in case they are infected, it will be mild,” she said.
She said that all children who will be vaccinated with first dose will receive their second dose while in school.
Speaking during the ushering in of New Year at Mama Ngina waterfront on Friday where vaccination services were given to the residents, Oginga urged the residents to take precaution issued by the ministry of health because Covid-19 disease is still here with us.
The booster vaccine will be available in all vaccination centers in the region.
