NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 25 – Marsabit, Wajir, Garisa, Turkana and Mandera are among counties with the least proportion of adults vaccinated against coronavirus at nearly half the national average of 3.3 per cent.
Marsabit, Wajir and Garissa had 1.2 per cent, 1.4 per cent and 1.7 per cent of its adult populations vaccinated according to data published by the Ministry of Health on Saturday.
Turkana and Mandera each registered 1.8 per cent rate with West Pokot reporting 2.6 per cent.
Other counties with figures below the national average include Kilifi (3.1 per cent, Kwale (3.1 per cent), Narok (2.5 per cent) and Tana River (2 per cent).
A total of thirty-seven counties – among them Siaya (5.9 per cent), Meru (5.4 per cent), Lamu (5.2 per cent), Bungoma (5.1 per cent), Kakamega (5 per cent), Baringo (4.9), Migori (4.8 per cent), Homa Bay and Samburu (4.4 per cent), Busia (4.2 per cent), Bomet and Isiolo (3.7 per cent) and Kisii (3.5 per cent) – reported vaccination rates above the national average.
Nairobi with 864,564 people vaccinated, representing 28.3 per cent of the city’s targeted population, reported the highest rate of vaccination nationwide followed by Nyeri (21.4 per cent).
Kiambu followed in third place at 15.4 per cent, Laikipia (14.5 per cent), Nyandarua (12.9 per cent), Kirinyaga (12.9 per cent), Taita Taveta (12.1 per cent), Uasin Gishu 82,709 (11.9 per cent), Embu (11.7 per cent), Kisumu 76,981 (11.7 per cent), Murang’a (11.4 per cent) and Nakuru (10.3 per cent).
Kajiado reported 9.8 per cent followed by the coastal city of Mombasa (9 per cent), Machakos (8.8 per cent), Makueni (8.8 per cent), Nyamira (7.7 per cent), Tharaka Nithi (7.4 per cent), Trans Nzoia (7.3 per cent), Nandi (6.6 per cent), Vihiga (6.5 per cent), Kericho (6.3 per cent), Elgeyo Marakwet (6 per cent) and Kitui (6 per cent).
The Ministry of Health had by Saturday administered 3.6 million vaccines with 888,760 fully vaccinated people and 2.7 million who had received a single dose whose uptake of the second and final dose was reported at 32.7 per cent.
The ministry has deployed a total of five vaccines including the single-shot Johnson and Johnson to support the country’s campaign to inoculate 27.2 million people.
President Uhuru Kenyatta had promised to have at least 1o million adults fully vaccinated by December 2021.
Other vaccines deployed are Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna and Sinopharm.
Sinopharm is the latest vaccine to be deployed in the country following the arrival of 200,000 doses from China on September 18.
The Ministry of Health said the country would receive more through the COVAX, an alliance co-led by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Kenya, like other African countries, will source vaccine supplies under COVAX through the African Union.
The number of coronavirus-triggered fatalities reported in the country since April 2020 stood at 5,096 with 239,730 recoveries reported since the pandemic struck.
Kenya launched the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination campaign on March 5, 2021.
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