Covid-19: Kenya has vaccinated over 9,100 frontline workers

Covid vaccination at KNH

A health worker prepares to administer a dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine to her colleagues, part of the Covax mechanism by Gavi, to help fight against Covid-19, at Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi on March 5, 2021. 

Photo credit: Simon Maina | AFP

What you need to know:

  • The death toll rose by seven to 1,908 and the number of recoveries by 117 to 88,326.

Kenya has vaccinated at least 9,144 of its frontline workers against the Covid-19 coronavirus disease since launching its campaign last week.

Kenya is among several countries using the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine that is being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has urged the public to get vaccinated, as local medical experts say the vaccine is safe, but has noted that inoculation is voluntary.

Several countries across the world, including the DR Congo, have suspended the AstraZeneca vaccine for reasons including links to blood clots. India is reviewing the vaccine's side effects following these concerns.

In a statement on Saturday, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said 2,020 of the 9,144 vaccinations took place in Nairobi, 1,304 in Uasin Gishu, 764 in Kisumu and 562 in Nakuru. 

Kiambu followed with 379, Trans Nzoia 335, Mombasa 332, Narok 277, Kisii 250, Kajiado 241, Laikipia 235, Elgeyo Marakwet 211, Nandi 175, Migori 171, Meru 155, Tharaka Nithi 149, Machakos 145, Kitui 127, Kirinyaga 112, Baringo 106, Makueni 104, Vihiga 103, Bungoma 98, West Pokot 86, Kericho 83, Homa Bay 82, Wajr 67, Mandera 66, Tana River 66, Siaya
62, Busia 61, Taita Taveta 42, Embu 36, Garissa 28, Samburu 26, Turkana 24, Isiolo 20, Murang’a 20, Nyandarua 18 and Kakamega  two.

870 new cases

Regarding new infections, the Health ministry announced 870 more on Saturday, which raised Kenya's number of confirmed cases to 112,805, following the analysis of 6,309 samples within a day.

Cabinet Secretary Kagwe said that number of samples raised the number of Covid-19 tests carried out in the country since the first one last March to 1,364,699.

Of the new patients, 792 were Kenyans and 78 foreigners, 506 male and 364 female, the youngest three months old and the oldest 99.

Nairobi County accounted for 431 of the new infections, Nakuru 120, Kiambu 95, Machakos 53, Turkana 29, Kajiado 26, Mombasa 15, Kisumu 10, and Bungoma and Meru nine each.

Isiolo County followed with eight, Embu and Kilifi six each, Murang’a, Nyandarua and Trans Nzoia five each, Laikipia and Nyeri four each, Uasin Gishu and Vihiga three each, and Baringo, Kericho, Kitui, Mandera, Nandi and Narok two each.

Elgeyo Marakwet, Garissa, Kakamega, Kirinyaga, Kisii, Siaya, Taita Taveta, Tana River and Tharaka Nithi counties each had just one new infection.

Seven more deaths

The death toll rose by seven to 1,908 and the number of recoveries by 117 to 88,326. Seventy five of the 117 people had been hospitalized while 42 were under home-based isolation and care.

By Saturday, 650 patients had been admitted to health facilities countrywide while 1,929 patients were being treated at home.

Of those in hospital, 98 were under intensive care, 25 of them on ventilatory support, 60 on supplemental oxygen and 13 patients under observation.

Another 25 patients were separately on supplementary oxygen, 23 of them in general wards and two in high dependency units.