President Uhuru Finally Receives AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine
President Kenyatta has finally taken the COVID-19 vaccine in what is seen as an effort to promote public confidence in the jab.
Kenyatta was injected with the AstraZeneca vaccine at State House, Nairobi on Friday alongside First Lady Margret Kenyatta and Cabinet Secretaries Fred Matiang’i (Interior) and Mutahi Kagwe (Health).
State House Chief of Staff Nzioka Waita had earlier announced that President Kenyatta directed members of the Cabinet and the Executive office to receive the jab as an act of leading by example.
The directive applies to all Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Cabinet Administrative Secretaries, and government executive officials.
On Thursday, the Health Ministry expressed concerns about the low uptake of the AstraZeneca vaccine and urged political, religious and community leaders to get inoculated to boost public confidence in the vaccine.
Members of the public have been skeptical about the vaccine after its use was temporarily suspended in several countries in Europe over safety concerns.
As the country battles a third wave of COVID-19, the Health Ministry added people aged 58 years and above to the vaccine priority list, which includes healthcare workers, security officers, and teachers.
“The Ministry of Health has decided to immediately prioritize vaccinations of persons aged 58 years and above. According to our data, these are at the most risk of severe disease and account for 60% of our recorded deaths. This group of persons will now be a priority target group under the ongoing Phase 1 vaccination exercise,” the ministry noted.
