NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 2 – Kenya is on Friday set to receive the first consignment of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, aimed at boosting the ongoing nationwide vaccination exercise.
Health Principal Secretary Susan Mochache said the 393,000 doses had been procured by the Kenya government, through the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust mechanism.
“The government has already paid Sh2 billion to the African Union for the procurement of Johnson and Johnson Vaccines. We will be receiving our first consignments as from tomorrow,” she said.
She said Moderna and Sinopharm vaccines from China were expected in the country in a few weeks.
An additional 2 million doses of Pfizer doses from the United States were also expected in the country within the month of September.
Data from the Ministry of Health showed that only 2.96 per cent of the country’s adult population had been inoculated as of September 1 using mostly AstraZeneca vaccine doses.
President Uhuru Kenyatta said that the government intends to vaccinate at least 10 million adult population by the end of the year.
The first phase of vaccination began on March 5 in Nairobi with vaccinations in counties kicking off on March 8. The second dose vaccination began on May 28.
PS Mochache on Thursday said so far Kenyans had responded well to the call for vaccination.
She spoke after receiving 358,200 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine from the Canadian government.
“As of today we have received over 3.6 million vaccines, some of which have been donations from friends such as Canada, for which as a country are most grateful,” she said.
National Taskforce on Vaccine Deployment Chairperson Dr. Willis Akhwale warned Kenyans against choosing vaccines urging them to get vaccinated with doses available at the accredited health centres.
He said health workers were being trained on the administration of Moderna, J & J and Sinopharm vaccines.