- Mombasa has more than 460,000 vaccinated residents, but only 54 per cent have received their second dose.
- The number of people who have gone for booster are 10,200.
Image: MAGDALINE SAYA
Mombasa county health officials have asked residents to get vaccinated in order to protect themselves from the upsurge of Covid-19 disease.
Speaking in Mombasa, public health chief officer Pauline Oginga said the positivity rate of Mombasa has increased from 0.8 per cent to currently 4.2 per cent.
“On June 15, the positivity rate was at 11.5 for one day, this means that people have relaxed so much making the cases to go up," she said.
We have heard of the 6th wave and I can confidently say the cases in Mombasa are going up and that is why we are calling upon the residents to wear a mask, wash their hands and stop shaking hands.”
She said there was a sharp decline on communicable diseases in the region when people were observing the Covid-19 measures.
“As much as the ministry relaxed some of the measures, your health is in your own hands," she said.
The chief officer said the uptake of second dose of Covid-19 is still low.
Mombasa has more than 460,000 vaccinated residents, but only 54 per cent have received their second dose.
The number of people who have gone for booster are 10,200.
“The vaccines are there. We are currently planning for a meeting for rapid response initiative for Mombasa county, an exercise that will be done up to September with an aim of increasing the uptake of vaccination," the officer said.
She said the number went down after the pronouncement was made by Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe to lower the measures that had been put in place.
“We are also working towards integrating vaccination in outpatient department. We want to make sure mothers coming for antenatal care and outpatients services are vaccinated,” she said.
She added that those who received the two doses are currently getting infected with Covid-19 disease.
“We are worried about this and therefore we are calling upon those who received the two doses and have finished six months ago to go for a booster vaccine to improve their immune system because the numbers are still low," she said.
(edited by Amol Awuor)