One million two hundred and fifty thousand vaccines in Kenya by next June.
After announcing earlier this year that health workers and employees of the national armed forces would be able to access the vaccinations from the end of February, the Kenyan Ministry of Health has drafted an update on the Covid-19 vaccination plan, according to a new arrangement that also involves the Council of Governors to ensure that vaccinations are carried out simultaneously in all counties and that at-risk and vulnerable groups are given priority.
The first vaccines are expected to be delivered at the end of February, and the vaccination programme will be divided into two phases.
The vaccination programme will be divided into three phases. In phase 1, Kenya has prioritised the vaccination of 1.25 million people between February and June 2021, when global vaccine supplies are expected to be limited.
People to be covered during this period include frontline health workers and all staff working in health facilities in both the public and private sectors. Workers performing essential services in key areas such as security and immigration are also prioritised.
During the second phase (July 2021 to June 2022) and when more vaccines are available, the plan is to vaccinate at least another 9.7 million Kenyans, targeting people over 50 and those over 18 with less worrisome health conditions.
As previously announced by Health Minister Mutahi Kagwe, the vaccines will not be compulsory, but the price for administering them to non-priority people is not yet known, nor will a private one be added to the state plan.
In the meantime, Covid-19 continues to cause cases (yesterday 141, but out of 5644 tests, with a percentage always quite low, 2.5%).
The total number of positives is 100,563, while those cured with yesterday's 64 more are 83,821.
Even in the last 24 hours, as has often been the case since the beginning of the year, there have been no deaths from the Coronavirus, and those admitted with symptoms number 477 throughout the country, while another 1368 are receiving care at home.
There are only 27 serious cases in intensive care. In a country of 50 million inhabitants, this is a derisory figure. If this continues, Covid-19 is much less scary than it was a few months ago.