Use it or lose it: Gov’t to recall COVID-19 vaccines from counties with slow uptake

The government is set to recall COVID-19 vaccines from counties with a slow uptake and re-distribute them to other regions.

Addressing the media on Friday, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said about 200,000 doses are yet to be issued out, noting that the margin is due to slow uptake in some areas. He emphasized that the government would not allow the vaccines to expire.

The Health CS, who was speaking in Nyeri County, said as of Friday, May 7 a total of 911,515 people had been vaccinated countrywide.

Of the 911,515 people who have been vaccinated, 531,540 are aged 58 years. The rest who have received the jab include Health workers (160,468), Teachers (142,624) and security officers (76,578).

On the COVID-19 situation in the country, CS Kagwe announced that 568 more people have tested positive  from a sample size of 9,029 samples tested in the last 24 hours marking a positivity rate of 6.3%. This now bringing the country’s total caseload to 162,666.

He further said 1,086 patients are admitted in various health facilities across the country while 6,381 are under the Home Based Care.

Currently, according to the Ministry of Health, there are 131 patients admitted in the ICU out of which 28 are on ventilatory support while 83 are under supplementary oxygen.