Details have emerged that the country may be forced to suspend the vaccination process over supply jitters. The 2nd batch under the COVAX facility was expected this month but India’s ban of the AstraZeneca vaccine may have a direct impact on the ongoing vaccination program.
Currently, less than 267,200 Covid-19 doses are remaining in all regional depots but government officials remain optimistic that the 2nd consignment of 1.5 million doses will arrive at the end of this month.
More than 63,049 teachers have already received the jab bringing the total number of vaccinated Kenyans to 455,826. Among this number, received 527 received the Russian Sputnik vaccine.
Those vaccinated are expecting to get a 2nd dose of the vaccine according to the vaccination procedure which may be impossible due to the ban. Africa CDC is exploring alternative COVID-19 vaccines after the ban affected its member countries.
The African Union and Africa CDC’s aim at vaccinating 60% of the African population (About 750) but high global demand, and bottlenecks encountered by the Serum Institute of India, are making it difficult for the continent to achieve this goal.
“The target was 90 million by April. So far 36 million people have been vaccinated. We still have a lot of effort and intervention to put in place.” Dr. Ahmed Ogwell, the Deputy Director of Africa CDC said.
Several countries in Africa including Kenya, Ghana, and Nigeria received their first consignment, of the AstraZeneca vaccine from the COVAX facility with the fate of the second and other consecutive consignments hanging in the balance.
African Union’s bloc of 55 member states has turned its focus to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. CDC signed a deal last week to secure up to 400 million doses even with more supplies from Johnson & Johnson.
According to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) data, 110,000 teachers are prioritized for the Covid-19 vaccine. This includes staff aged above 50 years. TSC boss Nancy Macharia on Monday urged teachers engaging in the KCPE and KCSE marking exercise to take the Covid-19 vaccine jab.
Teachers with underlying medical conditions but who do not fall under the said age bracket will be vaccinated in the next round when the second shipment arrives.
India on Sunday banned the exportation of anti-viral drug Remdesivir and its active pharmaceutical ingredients as demand skyrocketed due to a record surge in COVID-19 infections, leading to a crippling shortage in many parts.
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