By MICHAEL BONAYA
On the GOK Ministry of Health website, the Kenyan government says that it is committed to fully vaccinate the entire population of adults by June 2022.
The first vaccine to be authorized for use in the country was the Oxford, AstraZeneca brand. Other brands such as Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Moderna and Sinopharm from China, were also approved for use in the country soon after. All vaccines have been made available to Kenyans for free at vaccination centers across the country.
The early stages of the vaccine development saw some members of the public lose confidence in the process as there were several reported cases of extreme and even fatal side effects associated with the Oxford, AstraZeneca drug.
Norway, Austria, and the Netherlands were the first countries to discontinue the rollout of the vaccine on March 7th after reports emerged of blood clots and cardiovascular related illnesses in patients who had received the vaccine. Majority of European Union countries followed suit later on in March, led by France and Italy.
In most cases of extreme reaction to the drug, the vaccine was found to cause blood clots in the patient’s blood leading to cardiovascular strain leading to cardiovascular failure, stroke, and even death in some. Most of the seriously affected were elderly people and people living with pre-existing heart problems.
Despite the risks associated with the AstraZeneca vaccine, Kenya, like many other countries around the world, did not stop the vaccine rollout process. This move was supported by the World Health Organization who urged countries to continue using the vaccine.
The statement from the WHO on the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine states that cases of extreme side effects were rare and isolated incidents, and that they could not all be clearly linked directly to the vaccine. The statement further warns that the risks of not being vaccinated further outweigh the risk of suffering side effects from the jab.
Some Kenyans who were worried about the safety of the free vaccines opted for a Russian vaccine dubbed Sputnik V which was also briefly approved for use in the country before imports were banned in April after the Kenyan Ministry of Health cited a lack of transparency and accountability in the importation process. Kenyan Health Minister, Mutahi Kagwe in April told reporters that large shipments of the drug were being handled by private companies, adding that many such shipments were unlicensed and could be potentially dangerous because they might be counterfeit.
A single dose of the vaccine was being sold for as much as 7,900 shillings or approximately 70 USD, making the full required double dose cost around 16,000 shillings or approximately 150 USD. Despite the few minor setbacks and complications in the vaccine rollout process, many Kenyans have gone on to get vaccinated and more are still in line to ensure their safety against the Covid-19 virus.
With the emergence of the more deadly Delta variant of the virus MOHK has reported a significant increase in the number of people turning up at vaccination centers across the country. Dr. Willies Akhwale, Kenya’s vaccination taskforce chairman, says they are aiming at vaccinating 10 million Kenyans by the end of this year. So far they have managed to vaccinate 2.5 million people in the country, including those who have only received the first dose.
Members of the public have mixed thoughts about the safety and necessity of receiving the vaccine but the overwhelming majority believes that it is necessary in combating the spread of the pandemic, and they trust assurances from the authorities that the vaccines are safe.
Here are a few remarks from Kenyans on Twitter regarding the safety of the vaccine, and their support or skepticism about the rollout process:
Dr. Catherine Kyobutongi, the Executive Director of the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), cheered on the government for the progress they were making in the vaccination exercise.
