Kenya inoculates close to 600,000 people with AstraZeneca vaccine

Kenya’s Ministry of Health has announced that it has vaccinated 569,244 people with the AstraZeneca vaccine.

From the number above, 127,451 are Health Workers, 45,968 security officers, 84,016 teachers and 311,809 are other members of the public who include those at 58 years and above.

The total number of doses distributed thus far are 999,000, with the balance at the Kitengela Central Vaccines stores being 121,000.

Some other Kenyans have also been vaccinated with the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, though the official tally is not yet out.

A nurse prepares to administer a dose of the Covishield Covid-19 vaccine, developed by AstraZeneca Plc and the University of Oxford and manufactured by Serum Institute of India Ltd., at Thika Level 5 Hospital in Thika, Kenya, on Tuesday, March 30, 2021. Kenyan hospitals are grappling with record numbers of critical-care patients, stretching a system that was inadequate even before the outbreak of Covid-19. Photographer: Patrick Meinhardt/Bloomberg via Getty Images

In a separate statement, the country’s Chairman of the Health committee, Council of Governors Prof. Anyang Nyong’o said, “Since the leadership of both the national and county governments took the vaccine publicly, the confidence of the citizens was enhanced and there is a serious demand for the vaccine now.

Many county governments have depleted resources of what they had in store. This is a good sign but also a challenge since we have a shortage at the counties, in the country and globally.”

The country has thus far recorded 148,128 coronavirus cases, 100,245 recoveries and 2,420 deaths.