Kenya is expected to receive the first doses of COVID-19 vaccines in April this year, reported All Africa.
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe on Wednesday indicated that the plans to procure the vaccine were already at an advanced stage, assuring that there will be no logistical challenges in vaccination.
“It is important for us to keep in mind that the African countries especially here in the county the matters of vaccinating are very common with us,” Kagwe said during a tour of the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI). “We carry out children vaccination almost throughout the year and so unlike some countries that do not have vaccination programs we do have that and so in terms of the personnel and logistics we are ready to do that.”
Health Principal Secretary Susan Mochache said the government had already received confirmation from the African Union and the GAVI foundation that the vaccines will reach Kenya by April. The East African nation is expected to receive 10.8 million coronavirus vaccine doses from the African Union.
She said that the World Bank has committed to funding Kenya in purchasing the COVID-19 vaccines.
The African Union chairman and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has already confirmed that East African Community (EAC) member states are expected to receive some 39 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from the AU, which has secured a deal to procure 270 million of the same for all member states.
On Wednesday, Britain ensured that is ready to help Kenya prepare to roll out the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Astrazeneca and Oxford University.
During a visit to Nairobi, British foreign minister Dominic Raab said it is in the British national interest to see Kenyans get vaccinated as early as possible.
Kenya has reported over 99,444 COVID-19 cases and 1,736 deaths so far.
