Kenya gets second batch of US Moderna vaccine doses

Moderna vaccine Nairobi

Kenyan officials receive the second batch of 880,000 Moderna Covid-19 vaccine doses of at JKIA on September 6, 2021.

Photo credit: Dennis Onsongo | Nation Media Group

Kenya has received the second batch of Moderna vaccine donations from the United States.

The 880,000 doses, which arrived at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi Monday morning, have now completed the 1.76 million doses donation of the Moderna vaccine from the US.

Health Chief Administrative Secretary Rashid Aman said that country has now received over five million vaccine doses of different types.

"The constraint we have been experiencing on vaccine shortages is slowly fading away. We now ask people to show up and take the jab," he said.

National Vaccine Task Force Chairperson Willis Akhwale said his team will this week release a new deployment plan that will have an update on the priority groups expected to get the jab.

Priority groups

"In the plan, whose details will come out when we finish working on it, we will include people living with disabilities and those with underlying conditions," he said

Dr Akhwale also said that the government is yet to adopt the mixing of vaccines policy.

He advised Kenyans to take the jab that is available at their nearest hospital without considering preferences on types of vaccines.

Dr Aman asked Kenyans to show up and get vaccinated in order for the government to consider easing some of the containment measures that are in place.

"We expect to attain the 10 million target set by the President by December this year. This will help us consider relaxing some of the protocols we have put in place," he said.