MoH to redeploy Covid jabs from low uptake regions

The Health ministry now plans to withdraw Covid-19 vaccines from areas with low uptake and redistribute them to regions with high demand.

This comes amid fears that the slow uptake of vaccines in some counties might lead to the expiry of doses, even as global accessibility remains a challenge.

For instance, counties in the western and northern regions have recorded low uptake of the vaccine.

“The danger is real because once they are opened we have to get those 15 people to vaccinate, otherwise that entire lot of vaccines is lost and they are in short supply,” Health CS Mutahi Kagwe said.

“Some areas have queues coming up as early as six o’clock in the morning. We want to move vaccines to these areas, where people are enthusiastic so that we don’t lose any vaccines,” he added.

Meanwhile, all Covid-19 vaccination posts will be required to open throughout including on weekends and public holidays.

The new directive by the ministry aims to boost vaccine uptake with a focus on outreaches in churches, markets and public transport hubs.

The ministry aims to vaccinate at least 5.8 million people by Mashujaa day to be held next Wednesday.

With 4.1 million vaccines administered, the government aims to vaccinate 1.7 million people in the next nine days. This translates to at least 188,000 per day or at least 7,870 per hour.

The ministry is however optimistic that the vaccines already in the country are enough to help achieve the Mashujaa day targets.

The strategy is to use National Government Administration Officers such as area chiefs and sub-chiefs in information dissemination, with counties being required to put in place effective tools to ensure the message reaches all.

To date, more than seven million Kenyans have received vaccines.

Another consignment of 861,600 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines arrived on Friday—160,000 from the government of Slovakia and 701,600 from both the French and German governments.

“We have now received nearly 7.5 million doses to enable us to meet our Mashujaa day target and be on course to reach the 10 million year-end target,” Health CAS Rashid Aman said.

“I am therefore appealing to county governments to mobilise communities to take these lifesaving jabs. There is no reason why people in our villages and even in the urban centres should not be vaccinated,” Aman added.

Kenya has been relying on vaccine donations. However, less than one million doses of the Johnson and Johnson vaccines procured by the state have been received out of the expected 13 million doses.

(Edited by Bilha Makokha)