•Individuals due for the second dose of a two-dose vaccine are also targeted to complete the dose for full vaccination, while those eligible for the booster dose will be vaccinated to enhance immunity.
•The exercise was launched last Friday in Murang’a but the vaccination teams have been sent to the counties this week.
The Ministry of Health is looking for 2.3 million Kenyans to take Covid-19 vaccines by end of this month.
The campaign dubbed “Kenya Tukae Chonjo” targets to have anyone above 15 years vaccinated, with emphasis on high-risk populations such as frontline workers, immune-compromised individuals and the elderly.
Individuals due for the second dose of a two-dose vaccine are also targeted to complete the dose for full vaccination, while those eligible for the booster dose will be vaccinated to enhance immunity.
“We will not wait for people to come to the hospitals. We want to be able to go to the people and it is the Community Health Volunteers who will be able to do this,” said Health Chief Administrative Secretary Dr Mercy Mwangangi.
The exercise was launched last Friday in Murang’a but the vaccination teams have been sent to the counties this week.
“At least 2000 vaccination teams with each team comprising of a vaccinator, data clerk, community health volunteer and community mobilizer will be deployed to step up outreach services,” the ministry said in a statement.
“During the accelerated campaign, vaccination will be conducted in fixed mobile outreach vaccination sites set up in market centres, places of worship, office blocks, recreational centers, in addition to continued vaccination at existing health facilities.”
The 10-day vaccination campaign is supported by Unicef and Africa CDC among other partners.
The teams have been sent to Baringo, Bungoma, Busia, Elgeyo Marakwet, Embu, Homa Bay, Kajiado, Kericho, Kisii, Kitui, Lamu, Makueni, Meru, Migori, Mombasa, Muranga, Nandi, Nyamira, Nyandarua, Samburu, Tharaka Nithi, TransNzoia, Turkana, and Uasin Gishu.
Currently, the Covid-19 vaccination rate stands at 32 per cent with only five months left to the end of the year. Kenya targets to fully vaccinate at least 70 per cent of its entire adult population by end of December.
Vaccines approved for use include; AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Sinopharm, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson.
According to figures from the ministry, Nyeri is the most protected county against Covid-19.
The ministry said Nyeri and Nairobi have vaccinated more than half of their residents, a rare feat given that most counties have vaccinated less than three out of every ten people.
Nyeri, the home county of Health CS Mutahi Kagwe, leads nationally with 53.3 per cent followed by Nairobi, which has jabbed 51.7 per cent of people.
Kakamega and Kisumu follow with 42.8 per cent and 41.8 per cent respectively.
The rest of the counties fall below 40 per cent.
The bottom five counties are led by Marsabit, which has the lowest rate with only one out of every 10 residents being vaccinated.
The others are Mandera, Tana River, Wajir, and Isiolo, respectively.
The sluggish uptake nationally means Kenya is behind its target of vaccinating 70 per cent of adults by July.
“As of July 23, some 19,399,459 vaccines had been administered across the country, with 17,050,891 doses administered to the adult population of 18 years and above,” Kagwe said on Sunday.
“The government is working towards vaccinating a target population of 27,246,033,” the CS said.
Kenya started vaccinating its adult population against Covid-19 in March 2021 and its teenage population with Pfizer in November last year.
Kagwe said so far, 1,615,644 doses have been administered to teens between 15 to 17 years, and 75,224 doses to those between 12 and 15 years.