NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 2- The much-awaited COVID-19 vaccine will arrive in the country on Tuesday night, marking a new phase in tackling the pandemic that had infected 106,470 by Tuesday.
The disease had also killed 1,863 people by March 2.
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe was expected to lead ministry officials in receiving the 1 million doses when they land at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) at midnight.
Officials said the vaccines will be moved to the ministry’s Athi River central stores for distribution, with the first person expected to receive the vaccine at Kenyatta National Hospital on Friday.
About 16 million people will be vaccinated by end of the year to suppress the virus with vaccines from Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Johnson and Johnson.
“Kenyans must be careful even when the vaccine arrives since the world does not currently have enough for everyone,” the CS said during his visit to Nyeri County on Sunday.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Health reported 345 new COVID-19 cases that were recorded from a sample size of 5,550 pushing total caseload to 106, 470 on a day that vaccines are expected to arrive in the country.
In phase two of the vaccination, which is set to kick off in July, 9.7 million Kenyans will be vaccinated.
Kenya is still implementing a night curfew from 10pm to 4am expected t be lifted on March 12.
Other restrictions like a ban on large gatherings is violated with impunity, with top politicians including President Uhuru Kenyatta, his Deputy Wiliam Ruto and others holding huge rallies where the social distancing rule and masks are not observed.
