MoH Targets 800,000 School Leavers For Covid-19 Vaccination.
As part of its strategy to protect 50% of the adolescent population against the pandemic, the government is targeting over 800,000 KCSE school leavers for COVID-19 vaccination.
Susan Mochache, Principal Secretary, Ministry of Health, has urged parents and guardians to encourage teenagers to get vaccinated in order to protect the more vulnerable senior citizens from Covid-19.
On Thursday, June 2, the PS made the appeal while presiding over the official launch of the accelerated Covid-19 vaccination campaign in Kibra, Nairobi.
PS Mochache stated that the government intends to vaccinate 100% of the adult population and 50% of the adolescent population.
The Ministry of Health and the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) are collaborating on the six-week campaign, which is supported by WHO, UNICEF, and USAID.
NMS Medical Director Dr. Ouma Oluga stood beside the PS.
Since the first case of Covid-19 was reported in Kenya on March 12, 2020, the Ministry of Health has reported a total of 324,976 cases and 5,651 fatalities.
To combat the spread of the virus, the Kenyan government introduced Covid-19 vaccination in March 2021, supplementing the effect of other interventions such as proper frequent hand washing, social distancing, the use of sanitizers, and the use of masks.
Vaccination against Covid-19 remains the most effective intervention in the fight against this pandemic.
PS Mochache praised Nairobi County for having the second-best coverage in the country, with 48.8 percent of adults covered. Furthermore, at least 115,000 people have received booster shots.
Despite these gains, the PS expressed regret that a large population remains unvaccinated.
“We need to reach an additional 1.5 million adults and vaccinate 300,000 teenagers in Nairobi.
“We have recently witnessed an increase in reported cases of COVID-19 and the high population density in Nairobi poses the risk of propagation of another pandemic wave,” she noted.
She urged Kenyans to get vaccinated in order to avoid a new pandemic outbreak.
“We have achieved a lot in responding to the Covid-19 pandemic as follows. There are enough vaccines for everyone. We have ordered and received vaccines and distributed throughout the country, and we continue to do so. We no longer have vaccine shortage, "PS Mochache said.
To ramp up the fight against the pandemic, the Ministry of Health has trained Health Promotion and Community Health teams, and community engagement is ongoing, including religious leaders, school administrators, the transportation sector, and women and youth groups.
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In all counties, community mobilization and dialogue are ongoing.
By the end of the year, the Ministry of Health hopes to have vaccinated 100% of the adult population and 50% of the adolescent population aged 15-17 years.
Currently, 8.7 million Kenyans are fully vaccinated, accounting for 31% of the population.
MoH Targets 800,000 School Leavers For Covid-19 Vaccination