Health Principal Secretary Susan Mochache has said Kenyans allergic to eggs and chicken will not be vaccinated against the COVID-19 disease.
Speaking to NTV on Monday, March 1, the government official said the first batch of the AstraZeneca vaccine is expected to land in the country anytime soon and would be given on a first-come, first-serve basis with the priority being health workers.
“It will be a voluntary process. So anyome who is ready to take the vaccine should just go to the health facility. We will encourage pre-registration,”
The PS said not all Kenyans would be eligible to get the vaccine and listed those who would not be risked.
“Anybody who is under 18 is not eligible to get this vaccine. Anybody who is pregnant should ideally not get the jab. Also, if anyone is allergic to eggs and chicken then they won’t get the vaccine. So we have an existing infrasrusture that we will use to roll out the vaccine,” the health official said.
Mochache revealed health workers across the 47 counties were being trained on how to administer the vaccine with the training also set to be availed online through webinars.
Once the vaccines arrive at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, they would be taken to special storage stores in Kitengela before being distributed to one hospital in each county.
“The total cost for phase one will be KSh 34 billion. In this, we are talking about 36 million doses to vaccine 15 million people. But Gavi (the vaccine alliance) has granted us KSh 20 billion meaning the government will cater for the rest KSh 14 billion,”
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe had disclosed Kenya would carry out three phases of COVID-19 vaccination.
The CS said the first phase would begin in February and end in June when health experts expect the global vaccine stock would be limited.
The second phase of vaccination will be carried out from July 2021 to June 2022, during which period 9.7 million more Kenyans would be targeted.
Source: Tuko