Health Chief Administrative Secretary Mercy Mwangangi has confirmed that Kenya will receive 25 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine as a grant, which will allow Kenyans to get the jab free of charge.
Appearing before the Parliamentary Health Committee on Wednesday, March 10, Mwangangi said that 4,000 Kenyans have already received the AstraZeneca vaccine.
The CAS allayed fears regarding the vaccine noting that no after effects had been recorded from Kenyans who had taken the jab.
"In terms of the safety of the vaccine, Astrazeneca underwent the necessary trials and already received approval by the World Health Organization (WHO).
"No other vaccine is coming in. We will be receiving Astrazeneca and possibly in the near future, Moderna," Mwangangi stated.
The government had on Thursday, March 4 flagged off the first batch of Covid-19 Vaccines from the central depot of Kitengela to the outskirts of Nairobi and other parts of the country.
This is after 1 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccines arrived in the country on Tuesday, March 2. The government revealed that the rollout plan would be carried out in three phases.
Phase one which commenced last week and scheduled to run until June 30, would cover frontline healthcare workers and all staff working in health facilities both in public and private sectors. Also prioritized are workers undertaking essential services in priority sectors such as security and immigration officers.
Phase two would begin thereafter until June 2022 and target about 96 million Kenyans. The Ministry would target persons above 50 years of age and those above 18 years of age with underlying health conditions.
Phase three, which targets 4.9 million people, would target other vulnerable groups of people of 18 years and above in congregations, hospitality and the tourism industry. The phase will run between July 2022 and June 2023.
The news comes as the Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe pointed out that the country is experiencing a third wave of Covid-19 infections, urging Kenyans not to let their guard down due to the arrival of the Covid-19 jab.
"We hope the new wave will not be devastating like other countries. We must be vigilant to ensure the numbers do not overrun our health facilities," Kagwe stated.
