Wednesday, April 14, 2021 – Details have emerged of a crisis meeting chaired by President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday.
According to reports, the meeting was aimed at addressing the deteriorating Covid-19 situation and the looming shortage of AstraZeneca vaccine.
It is believed that the 1.02 million doses that were imported in March will run out of stock in a period of between 10 and 14 days.
“We are working around the clock to find a solution.”
“The stock we have at the moment can only last about 10 days, by which time the first batch of persons who received the jab would be due for their second injection.”
“We will have the second doses that people need within the 12-week window instead of the eight weeks we had set.”
“This means we are still within the timelines set by WHO (World Health Organization),” stated Willis Akhwale, the chairman of the task force of Covid-19 Deployment and Vaccination.
The attendees of the meeting also observed that individuals who had already taken the first jab of the vaccine would have to wait longer than expected for the second jab.
This is after India, the country considered the largest producer of the vaccine, temporarily halted exports after it recorded a spike in infections.
“The President ordered us to ensure that the country receives its next batch of vaccines as soon as possible.”
“What I can tell you is that we are racing against time to actualize the directive,” stated one of the officials who attended the meeting.
The move disrupted the country’s plan to have 3.2 million jabs as of June 2021.
Those who had taken their first jab in March and early April were expected to get a second one in early May but they may be forced to wait till the end of the month.
It is reported that since India’s suspension, Kenya is actively seeking funds to import the vaccine from several other sources including the US, Netherlands, Belgium, and Russia.
This comes even as Uhuru banned importation and administration of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine just after Deputy President William Ruto took the jab.
E! News Blog
0 Comments