Covid-19: Ministry data shows vaccine injustice

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Kenya’s Covid-19 vaccine rollout is favouring the most advantaged regions, data shows.

The troubling trend shows nearly all the remote counties in northern Kenya are struggling to reach people with the vaccine while Mt Kenya region and central Rift Valley are leading in vaccination numbers.

Going by the current pattern, pastoralist communities could be the last to get fully vaccinated.

The worst performing county is Marsabit where only 523 people have been fully vaccinated with two doses since the drive started on March 5.

This represents just 0.2 per cent of the targeted 219,170 adult population in that region.

Tana River has vaccinated only 385 adults, which is just 0.3 per cent of the 151,051 targeted people.

This means the county has been reaching only three people every day.

Others with 0.3 per cent coverage are Mandera with only 1,130 people vaccinated out of the targeted 341,857 and Garissa where only 1,134 out of 399,358 adults have been vaccinated.

Turkana has a coverage of 0.4 per cent having vaccinated 1,869 people out of the targeted 468,878 while Wajir has reached 0.4 per cent or 1,294 adults from a total eligible population of 337,296.

“As of July 23, a total of 1.6 million vaccine doses have so far been administered across the country. The proportion of adults fully vaccinated countrywide is 2.3 per cent,” Health CS Mutahi Kagwe said.

Vaccination is the best way to prevent Covid-19. Around the world, 99 per cent of all people being hospitalised with the disease were not vaccinated.

Nairobi has the highest coverage in Kenya, having vaccinated 215,000 people, or seven per cent of its population.

Despite leading in vaccination, Nairobi also leads in infections because of its huge, crowded population.

“Nairobi is usually the biggest driver of any Covid-19 wave nationally from its population size and also in terms of testing and hospitalisations. Right now things are not looking good as the numbers in the capital continue to rise,” leading pathologist Ahmed Kalebi said.

Nyeri has the second-best vaccination rate at 5.4 per cent with 27,437 people vaccinated, followed by Uasin Gishu at four per cent with 27,963 people.

The other best performing counties are Laikipia with 3.6 per cent, Nakuru (3.2), Nyandarua (3.1), Embu (2.8), Mombasa (2.5), Kisumu (2.50 and Vihiga 2.5 per cent.

Vaccination in the remaining counties is below the national average.

Experts say the low rates are mostly due to the lack of vaccines and the challenges of transporting and storing vaccines in remote counties.

Kenya is currently relying on donations from countries that have excess vaccines or those unable to utilise them before they expire.

The last donation from France comprising 182,400 doses of the AstraZeneca jabs arrived in Kenya on July 8.

Dr Willis Akhwale, chairman of the Covid Vaccine Deployment Taskforce said, “This will ensure our health workers, teachers and other essential workers are protected, and that our health centres countrywide can continue providing vital care to people affected by Covid-19.”

Unicef Representative to Kenya Maniza Zaman said vaccine equity is essential to ensuring everyone at risk of Covid-19 gets vaccinated, wherever they live.