Roadside drive shores up Nyeri Covid jab numbers
What you need to know:
- The drive targets to reach at least 1,000 people in the next 10 days, and to cover the more than 80,000 unvaccinated people in the town constituency.
- Already, doctors and nurses are camping at tea buying centres and factories to roll out the vaccine and to sensitise the population.
For six hours every day, medical officers and nurses have been pitching tent on busy streets in Nyeri County, delivering the Covid-19 jab to residents as they go about their day’s activities.
This initiative –a partnership between Nyeri County government and Amref Health Africa –has been a reprieve for hundreds of residents who could not afford time to visit the recommended vaccination centres due to the nature of their work.
Dubbed ‘‘Moonlight Vaccination Programme’’ the drive has been running from 3:30pm to 9:30pm in Nyeri town, Mathira and Mukurwe-ini sub-counties since November last year. The drive targets people aged 18 and above.
Booths are located on Gakere Road in Nyeri town and Karatina and Mukurweini townships. ‘‘The choice of location is strategic to make it convenient for those going back home from work. That’s also why we chose this time slot,’’ explained Nelson Muriu, the county health director.
Mr Muriu added that the vaccination booths are able to attend to between 300 and 500 people per day against only 100 people who visit county health facilities.
The county has one of the highest vaccinated population in the country at 223 080 adults, according to the Ministry of Health. This represents 47 per cent of the population, which has allowed vaccines to be utilised before their expiry date. The target is to vaccinate 519, 028 people.
County officials said after recording low numbers in the beginning, the figures have picked up as residents seek to get the jab.
"Some people had initially been hesitant to get the jab, especially the second shot, but they are now coming for it,’’ said Mr Muriu, commending Nyeri people for their positive reception.
The county was targeting to vaccinate at least 50 per cent of its population by December last year. County officials observed that they will adopt multiple strategies to achieve this goal. So far, more than 4,000 Nyeri residents have received the booster vaccine.
During the recent launch of the mass vaccination, Nyeri Central Deputy County commissioner Joseph Mwangi said the drive will now move to farms and households to ensure that everyone gets fully vaccinated.
"Our desire is to take the vaccines where the people are. We don’t want to leave anyone out,’’ Mr Mwangi said.
The drive targets to reach at least 1,000 people in the next 10 days, and to cover the more than 80,000 unvaccinated people in the town constituency.
Already, doctors and nurses are camping at tea buying centres and factories to roll out the vaccine and to sensitise the population.
