Kenya has decided that from today, Friday 28 May, recalls will begin for those vaccinated with the first dose of AstraZeneca last March.
The Ministry of Health has announced that the second administration will take place with the approximately 100,000 doses still in the possession of public facilities, starting with health workers and public administration employees who first received the vaccine.
Another batch of an additional 72,000 AstraZeneca vaccines will arrive in Kenya from South Sudan after the neighbouring country returned some of the doses received to the Covax programme coordinated by the Africa CDC.
"At the same time, we have decided to stop administering the first doses to those who voluntarily present themselves for the vaccine," said National Vaccine Advisory Taskforce Chairman Dr Willis Akhwale, "to focus on booster shots. All people waiting for their second dose will receive a message 48 hours before their appointment and they will have to show that, to avoid queue-jumping, as has happened previously".
At the same time, the Ministry has ruled out, as was leaked days ago, that Kenya is about to receive a further supply of vaccines from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Another 130 000 vaccines are expected to arrive through the Covax programme, which is withdrawing those from countries that have not been able to administer them to the population in time.
The Minister of Health, Mutahi Kagwe, meanwhile, has opened up the possibility of using the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which provides a single injection, for the third phase of vaccinations in the country.
The decision was made after it became clear that it would not be possible to receive new doses of AstraZeneca from the Serum Institute in India, following the emergency in the Asian country.
"For the next phase," said Kagwe, "we will be forced to use a different vaccine from AstraZeneca in Oxford.  We have already requested and will obtain Johnson and Johnson doses through the African Union and we will let you know when they arrive in the country," he said.
The start of the third phase of vaccinations should also include employees in the tourism and trade sectors, an operation that is essential to secure activities that are fundamental to the country's full economic and social recovery.