The first batch of Covid- 19 vaccine arrives in Kenya.
Nairobi, 2 March 2021 – Just before midnight, 1.02 million doses of the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, in Nairobi. The vaccines were transported by UNICEF as part of the COVAX facility, which aims to provide equitable access to vaccines for all countries around the world.
Among the first to receive the dose will be healthcare workers, followed by other frontline workers such as the security officers and teachers. Next in line will be Kenyans with underlying health conditions that make them vulnerable to coronavirus. The Health CS sought to allay fears that the vaccines may not be enough, clarifying that there will be subsequent batches.
A total of 459,000 doses of the 1.02 million Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines will be distributed to level six and level four hospitals.
Level six will get 33,000 doses, while the military facilities (level four) will get 21,000 doses. The 459,000 will mark the first dose of the vaccine which has been found to be effective when one is issued with two doses. The two doses are to be administered at least eight weeks apart. The rest 525,000 will be issued later as the second dose. Other groups prioritized in the first batch include vulnerable groups and hospitality workers.
According to the vaccination plan, the first phase will target 1.25 million people, while phase two will target 9.76 million individuals above the age of 50 years and those with comorbidity.
