- The country to date has received 23 million vaccines, with more doses expected to arrive in the early next year.
- The Health ministry targets to vaccinate the entire eligible population of at least 27 million by end of 2022.
Image: MAGDALINE SAYA
Kenya will have to ensure that at least 300,000 people are vaccinated to hit the December target.
The Health Ministry had targeted to vaccinate at least 10 million people before the end of the year, but so far, only 9.7 million vaccines have been administered in the country.
The country to date has received 23 million vaccines, with more doses expected to arrive in the early next year.
Of the 9.7 million vaccines administered, slightly above four million people are now fully vaccinated, with the proportion of the adult population fully jabbed standing at 14.8 per cent.
The plan is to reach at least 60 per cent of the population with the lifesaving vaccines to be able to attain herd immunity against the virus.
The Ministry further targets to vaccinate the entire eligible population of at least 27 million by end of 2022.
“All public and private vaccination centre remain open until late during this festive period," Health CS Mutahi Kagwe said.
These are part of the efforts the ministry has put in place to ensure as many people as possible are vaccinated.
Nairobi county is in the lead after having fully vaccinated 33.1 per cent of the population followed by Nyeri at 30.5 per cent.
The next is Laikipia at 23.9 per cent, Kiambu at 21.8 per cent, Taita Taveta at 17.9 per cent and Murang’a and Kakamega with 17.4 per cent respectively.
Other counties that have vaccinated at least 15 per cent of their population include Uasin Gishu at 17.1 per cent and Machakos at 16.6 per cent.
Others are Kirinyaga at 16.3 per cent, Nyandarua at 15.9 per cent, Nakuru at 15.5 per cent, Kisumu at 15.1 per cent and Kajiado with 15 per cent.
The Ministry said that there has been an increase in the uptake of vaccines.
This follow new directives that require proof of vaccination to access certain establishments or visit certain government services.
Already, some establishments have begun to effect the directive to show proof of vaccination before accessing the premises.
Despite a court order stopping the implementation of the directive, the government has maintained that those who want to access services must show proof of vaccination.
Last week, the Ministry invoked the Public Health Act that reigns supreme on the directive by the court that stopped the implementation of the directives.
The Act contains special provisions for the handling of what it terms as ‘formidable epidemics, endemics and infectious diseases’.
It gives the CS powers to make and require enforcement of rules for controlling the spread of an infectious disease.
“We are working very closely with the county to first ensure that the vaccines are available, and that those who are eligible get the vaccines,” Vaccine Deployment chairperson Willis Akhwale said.
“We are appealing to the private sector so that we scale vaccination during this time, especially with Omicron now being with us,” he added.
(edited by Amol Awuor)