President Uhuru Kenyatta receives the COVID-19 vaccine

President Uhuru Kenyatta has received the COVID-19 vaccine alongside members of his Cabinet and other senior State officials.

The Head of State was inoculated at State House, Nairobi prior to addressing the Nation on the COVID-19 situation in the country.

Earlier he had issued a directive that the entire Cabinet and Executive office receive the jab perhaps to boost confidence in the vaccination exercise.

Following the increase in the number of COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations as well as deaths, the Ministry of Health on Thursday reviewed its priority list of those to be vaccinated to include persons aged 58 years and above.

In a press statement issued by Dr. Willis Akhwale, the chairperson of the COVID-19 vaccine deployment taskforce, people aged 58 and above are at most risk of severe disease and account for 60% of the recorded deaths.

“The country is now experiencing the 3rd wave of the COVID-19 pandemic with increasing number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths. In view of this surge of the pandemic, and in order to protect and save lives, the Ministry of Health has decided to immediately prioritize vaccinations of persons aged 58 years and above,” reads the statement.

“According to our data these are at most risk of severe disease and account for 60% of our recorded deaths. This group of persons will now be a priority target group under the ongoing Phase 1 vaccination exercise. This prioritization is also aligned to the WHO and National Taskforce on Vaccine Deployment recommendations.”

The ministry further urged all political, religious and community leaders to take the vaccine so as to boost confidence in the overall vaccination process.

The first phase of the vaccination exercise is targeting 1.25 million frontline workers at a risk of infection.