Kenya has run out of Covid-19 vaccines, Health CS Mutahi Kagwe admits

Health CS Mutahi Kagwe. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Kenya has run out of Covid-19 vaccines and only 100,000 doses are remaining, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has admitted.

In an interview with CNN, the CS said the country needs more vaccines immediately, reassuring all vaccinated persons that they will get their second doses.

“We are still vaccinating, but what I can tell you is that we are at the tip, and we need more vaccines like yesterday,” he told CNN.

Kagwe added that the government is in talks with other vaccine manufacturers to acquire more like Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer which are already in the market.

“AstraZeneca Vaccine is unlikely to remain the vaccine of choice in Africa because of the delays in shipments currently being experienced from India,” he said.

Last year in December, he remained resolute that the country would administer the AstraZeneca vaccine, produced in conjunction with the Oxford University. It was the Health Ministry’s preferred choice at the time since clinical trials had been conducted and its efficacy proved.

But he also says: 

CS Health; The government is expecting an additional 150,000 doses from neighbouring countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo where there is no capacity to administer vaccine doses before they expire in June this year. — Ministry of Health (@MOH_Kenya) May 20, 2021

So far, a total of 948,980 people have received the Covid-19 jab.

Kenya received its first consignment of the AstraZeneca vaccine in early March, with at least 1.12 million units.

The vaccination process was rolled out with healthcare workers, security personnel, teachers and those aged above 60 years being the target population.

The exercise however received a lukewarm reception from its target population.

His sentiments coming on a day that Kenya posted 494 Covid-19 cases and a 7.7 per cent positivity rate.

The total confirmed cases in the country are now 166,876 and cumulative tests conducted so far are 1,763,274.