Kenyans who have not been completely vaccinated against Covid-19 will be excluded from bars, restaurants, and public transportation as of December 21, according to Health Minister Mutahi Kagwe.
The initiatives are intended to boost vaccination rates ahead of the holiday season.
Only roughly 6.4 million people, or less than 10% of the population, are currently vaccinated.
This only gives Kenya’s 20 million adults a month to be vaccinated.
In Kenya, the AstraZenaca vaccine is the most often used vaccine, and the two doses required to be properly vaccinated should be administered at least six weeks apart.
In Kenya, the AstraZenaca vaccine is the most often used vaccine, and the two doses required to be properly vaccinated should be administered at least six weeks apart.
Mr Kagwe did not clarify how these obstacles would be overcome, but he did state that a 10-day vaccination campaign would begin on November 26th, with the goal of vaccinating 10 million people by the end of December. Kenya has a population of roughly 50 million people, with at least 40% of them being children.
Despite fears that vaccines are in low supply in certain African countries, the Kenyan government is optimistic that it will have enough for its immunization program.
It has only given out 6.4 million vaccinations out of a total of 10.7 million.
Another eight million doses are expected.
Mr Kagwe stated in a statement that the number of Covid cases in Kenya had decreased over the last two months, with a positive rate ranging from 0.8 percent to 2.6 percent in the last 14 days.
“A build-up of immunity both from natural exposure to the disease and the ongoing vaccination exercise may be contributed to the recent drop in the incidence of new infections.” Despite this, we recognize that it is not yet time to rejoice.
“We know that during the festive periods many of the known measures against the virus such as social distancing can easily get overlooked as people make merry,” Mr Kagwe added.
Day trip to get a jab
From 21 December, people would have to be fully vaccinated to use public transport – including buses and domestic flights – or to enter hotels, bars, restaurants and game reserves, Mr Kagwe added.
The same rule would apply to hospital and prison visits, as well as to government buildings for education, immigration and tax purposes, he said.
However, Mr Kagwe was also quoted as saying that the measures may not always be strictly enforced.
“We have given time for Kenyans to get the vaccine by December 21. As much as we will enforce these measures, accountability on implementing these measures will lie on individuals,” Mr Kagwe was quoted by the local Standard newspaper as saying.
From Tuesday, people over the age of 15 will be able to get a Pfizer jab.
Over the last few months, vaccination centres have been set up at bus stops and shopping malls to boost inoculation rates in urban areas, but in rural areas people still have to travel long distances to be jabbed.
“It will take me a whole day to go to the health centre to get the jab and come back home,” said a woman in Kabartonjo, a village which is about a seven-hour drive from the capital Nairobi.
“That means I have to close my stall where I sell vegetables and raw honey for the whole day. What will my children eat at the end of the day?” she told the BBC.
Vaccine hesitancy is also a major problem across Kenya.
“Why don’t they want to also address the fact that there are some perfectly healthy people who died after taking the vaccine?” another woman asked.
Health experts say the jabs significantly reduce the chances of a person getting infected or becoming seriously ill and that the risk of dying from any of the approved vaccines is extremely low.
Source: BBC
