• The low uptake of vaccines was linked to myths and misconceptions that Covid-19 vaccines suppress libido and fertility.
• The plan is to vaccinate at least 10 million people by the close of 2021 and 27 million by the end of 2022.
Image: MAGDALINE SAYA
The trust in churches and mosques has led to the significant improvement in the uptake of Covid-19 vaccines in the country.
In early December, the Health ministry entered into a partnership with churches and mosques to be used as Covid-19 vaccination centres.
This came after concerns were raised of low uptake, especially in counties in Western and Nyanza regions, as well as among the elderly population.
The low uptake of vaccines was linked to myths and misconceptions that Covid-19 vaccines suppress libido and fertility.
But vaccines deployment taskforce chair Willis Akhwale has said the uptake in Western has improved in the last 10 days.
“For example in Kakamega we have had over 100,000 vaccinations,” he said.
“Part of the reason is the elderly people trust places of worship. Now that we are partnering with churches and mosques, the elderly are going there and that is where they are getting vaccinated in Western Kenya,” he added.
To date, 9.8 million vaccines have been administered across the country. Of that number, 5.7 million people have been partially vaccinated, while 4.08 million have been fully vaccinated.
Data from the Health ministry shows the uptake of the second dose among those who received their first dose is 55.8 per cent, while the proportion of adults fully vaccinated is 15 per cent.
The plan is to vaccinate at least 10 million people by the close of 2021 and 27 million by the end of 2022.
“Kenya is very innovative. Have you heard of moonlight vaccination? Kiambu and Murang’a do vaccinations in the night using torches,” Akhwale said.
“In Kenya we have employed as many strategies as we are able to and we are going to keep adding new ones on our vaccination based on assessment on how we access the people. It varies from region to region.”
Data from the ministry shows that Kakamega has fully vaccinated 176,415 people, representing 17.9 per cent of the targeted population. In early December, the percentage of those vaccinated was just 4.7 per cent.
Bungoma has fully vaccinated 115,911 people, representing 13.7 per cent of the target population, up from 5.2 per cent in early December.
Busia has vaccinated 8.2 per cent of the targeted population, up from 4.5 per cent in early December.
Others include Siaya, Kisii, Migori, Nyamira, Homa Bay and Vihiga that have vaccinated 10.2 per cent, 7, 7.4, 10.9,6.4 and 13.3 per cent respectively.
“If we want to see our places of worship fully opened up, our businesses return to normal and most of all our people healthy, we must ensure that everyone is safe,” Health CS Mutahi Kagwe said.
The religious leaders also launched a campaign to increase awareness among all faith communities on the need to receive the Covid-19 vaccination.
The campaign is being undertaken jointly with the government, Inter-Religious Council of Kenya and Unicef.