• The counties are Marsabit, Tana River, Mandera, Wajir, Isiolo, Garissa, West Pokot, Narok, Bomet, Kwale, and Kilifi. They all have less than 20 per cent coverage.
•The disease has so far killed about 3,321 people since the first death in April 2020.
Image: FILE
The Ministry of Health has raised concern over 10 counties that have consistent low Covid-19 vaccination rates.
The counties in northern Kenya also host large refugee communities, majority of whom remain unvaccinated.
The ministry said Marsabit has consistently had the lowest coverage in Kenya, which stood at 10 per cent on Monday.
It is followed by Tana River, Mandera and Wajir with about 11 per cent.
The others are Isiolo, Garissa, West Pokot, Narok, Bomet, Kwale, and Kilifi in that order. They all have less than 20 per cent coverage.
Although most of these counties have a pastoralist population, Bomet has a stable population but only 16.4 per cent have taken the jab.
Health CS Mutahi Kagwe said the threat of Covid-19 is still high especially among old people.
He said cases are still being reported in counties with low vaccination rate.
“In terms of county distribution, three cases are from Nairobi while Mandera and Nyeri have recorded one case each,” he said of the four cases reported on Sunday.
The disease has so far killed about 3,321 people since the first death in April 2020.
“Cumulative deaths by age are; 0-9 years (62), 10-19 (44), 20-29 (151), 30-39 (411), 40-49 (652), 50-59 (1,032), 60 years and above (3,321),” Kagwe said.
He said the proportion of adults fully vaccinated is currently 34.4 per cent.
“The government is working towards vaccinating a targeted population of 27,246,033 people,” the CS said.
Only two counties have vaccinated at least half of the population against Covid-19, according to the Ministry of Health report.
It shows Nyeri (at 53.5 per cent), followed by Nairobi (at 52.1 per cent), have at least half of the population fully vaccinated.
Kagwe said Nyeri has vaccinated about 272,731 people from a target of 510,028.
Nairobi, he said, has vaccinated 1,590,581 from a target of 3,052,494.
The uptake of the jab slowed during the final month of the general election campaigns and is yet to pick up.
The lacklustre performance is not due to vaccine shortage because Kenya has millions of doses nearing expiry.
“The proportion of adults fully vaccinated nationally is 34.3 per cent,” Kagwe said.
The sluggish uptake nationally means Kenya is behind its earlier target of vaccinating 70 per cent of adults before August.
Three weeks ago, the ministry said it was targeting 2.3 million Kenyans to take Covid-19 vaccines in a campaign dubbed “Kenya Tukae Chonjo.”
The ongoing campaign 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,” Health Chief Administrative Secretary Dr Mercy Mwangangi said.
The campaign targeted Baringo, Bungoma, Busia, Elgeyo Marakwet, Embu, Homa Bay, Kajiado, Kericho, Kisii, Kitui, Lamu and Makueni.
Also, Meru, Migori, Mombasa, Muranga, Nandi, Nyamira, Nyandarua, Samburu, Tharaka Nithi, Trans Nzoia, Turkana, and Uasin Gishu.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)