We need to plan ahead of Covid-19 vaccination
For vaccination campaigns to be successful, the Health ministry needs to take some steps.
What you need to know:
- The Covid-19 vaccine introduction in the country will require preparedness from the government.
- The National Immunization Vaccines programme needs to enlighten the public on how they plan to roll out the Covid-19 vaccine.
The government had announced Kenyans will receive the Covid-19 vaccine by mid-February.
The World Health Organization has advised governments to include activities to strengthen immunisation, health services and health systems with collaboration across programmes.
The Covid-19 vaccine introduction in the country will require preparedness from the government in terms of knowledge on how to deploy it effectively and ensure its uptake and acceptability. The National Immunization Vaccines programme needs to enlighten the public on how they plan to roll out the Covid-19 vaccine.
For vaccination campaigns to be successful, the Health ministry needs to take some steps. Firstly, a coordinating body that should be spearheaded by an expert in the medical field is required.
Public awareness campaign
The team should have an advisory body to review the evidence on the effectiveness of the vaccine. The allocation and distribution mechanism for the vaccine needs to be developed and reviewed periodically by this team consisting of key stakeholders.
Secondly, the government must deploy a robust and massive public awareness campaign and advocacy programmes in both urban and rural areas to educate the public on the importance and benefits of the vaccine.
Thirdly, our medical fraternity, in both the public and private sector, must be supported with adequate resources to enable proper handling, deployment and successful implementation and monitoring of the vaccine programme.
Finally, collaboration from the public and private sectors will be crucial for the effective management, deployment and implementation of the programme.
