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You will receive Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine if you missed out on the first helping of AstraZeneca jabs. The Ministry of Health has settled on Johnson& Johnson as it’s a single jab vaccine hence reducing logistical distribution nightmares, said Health CS Mutahi Kagwi. AstraZeneca required two jabs which most Kenyans who got the first, are still waiting for.
Kenya was to receive 24 million doses of the vaccine at a cost of $3.6 million (Sh389 million) through the COVAX facility. Kenya had also set aside resources to procure an additional 10 million doses. However, only one million doses have been received.
“We are of the opinion that there is a great and urgent need to redirect these funds to other vaccine manufacturers with the capacity to supply us with the vaccines,” he said Kagwe in selecting Johnson $ Johnson as the best alternative supplier.
Kagwe added that inequalities in the availability, access and distribution of Covid-19 vaccines have been worsened by the deteriorating pandemic situation in India where AstraZeneca vaccines are manufactured besides “an unfortunate emergence of vaccine nationalism.”
He announced that 116,000 Covid-19 positive cases have been confirmed with 114,000 recoveries and 3000 deaths in the country as at May 12.
He urged COVAX and Gavi to hasten the redistribution of unused AstraZeneca dozes to countries that are able to use them quickly, to avoid the expiry of vaccines while many people in the world need them.
Meanwhile, Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong’o says the Indian Covid-19 variant had been contained even as he admitted to challenges fighting the pandemic, but disputed reports that the lakeside county was heading the "Indian way."
Nyong'o's remarks came as the county prepares to host Madaraka Day celebrations on June 1.
"No new Indian Covid-19 variant case has been confirmed in Kisumu since the last case three weeks ago,” said Nyong’o. “All their contacts tested negative in subsequent tests” thus contradicting the county health department that 25 cases had been detected from 310 tests of contacts of five people found with Indian variant.
Nyong’o stated there was no cause for alarm despite the Ministry of Health naming Lakeside counties as recording a high number of Covid-19 infections as the country lost 14 more lives.
The Ministry noted that Nairobi led in new infections (86) followed by Kisumu (64), Migori (49), Kisii (26), Siaya (19) and Homa Bay (18), but Nyong’o said the figures are based on previous reports as “fewer cases are coming now, so the number keeps on fluctuating.”
Medical experts had warned that the lakeside city is headed towards an unmanageable Covid-19 crisis after some five people working at a sugar firm tested positive of the Indian variant of the virus on May 5.
Nyong’o noted that rising cases at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching $ Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) have surged “because some of those who come to test are from the neighbouring counties” and that the referral hospital’s 100-bed comprehensive Covid-19 care centre with ICU and Renal dialysis unit, will be opened on Monday.
Nyong’o also directed all morgues not to preserve bodies for more than 48 hours besides banning night vigils and only less than 100 mourners are to attend burials.
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