This archive report was first published on 23 August 2021.
On August 23, 2021, Kenya received a significant boost in its COVID-19 vaccination efforts with the arrival of 880,640 doses of Moderna vaccine donated by the US government.
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe expressed optimism that the current vaccination efforts and improved case management of COVID-19 would continue to reduce the fatality rate, which has marginally decreased from 2.1% to 2.0%.
According to Kagwe, the increased availability of oxygen at facilities has contributed to the reduction in fatality rate, and he hoped to see further improvement by maintaining vaccination efforts and ensuring the availability of oxygen in health facilities.
During a speech read on his behalf by Health Principal Secretary Susan Mochache, Kagwe emphasized the importance of prioritizing the vaccination of frontline workers and the elderly, who are at a higher risk of infection.
Analysis of data revealed that 70% of the 4,497 deaths reported so far were occurring in persons over 58 years of age, followed by those above 50 years.
“It is disheartening to observe that despite prioritizing the vaccinations of persons above 58 years who are estimated to be 2.6 million, only 9.1% are fully vaccinated,” Kagwe said.
He appealed to those in the prioritized groups, especially the over 58, to take charge of their health and present themselves to the nearest vaccination post, as the vaccines are becoming more available and provided free of charge by the government.
As of today, Kenya has received a total of 3,610,600 doses of COVID-19 vaccines, and Kagwe said the arrival of the COVID-19 Moderna vaccine marked yet another milestone in the country’s COVID-19 vaccination programme.
“Moderna is the second vaccine to be deployed in the country after we started administering AstraZeneca in March this year, and the shipment is the first of the 3.5 million doses of vaccines to Kenya by the US government, which include 1,760,780 doses of Moderna and 1,760,850 doses of Pfizer scheduled to be delivered mid-next month,” he said.
Kenya has made good and steady progress towards achieving its goal of protecting its citizens against the pandemic, despite the first phase of the vaccination programme being hampered by global supply constraints.
So far, 1,615,687 Kenyans have received their 1st dose, and 780,377 Kenyans are now fully vaccinated, with the country attaining a daily vaccination rate of 40,000 people per day and hitting a record of over 70,000 vaccinations in a single day.
