As the country orders Covid-19 vaccine doses, calls have been made to ensure it provides the progress made at each stage to remove uncertainties once the drugs reach the country.
Thika Town MP Patrick Wainaina said while placing orders was welcome, the government should be clear on the number of orders that have been made, when it will reach the country and seal all theft loopholes to ensure it arrives safely.
Speaking while issuing Sh10 million bursary to students from his constituency on Tuesday, Wainaina said Kenyans are awake to the corruption scandals that befell the procurement of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) and feared the vaccines may be diverted to the rich few.
“Kenyans fear that there may not be equity in administration of the vaccine. These are the fears that the government should come out and dispel, by giving direction on how it will be administered once the vaccine lands in the country,” he said.
The legislator at same time called on the Health Ministry to fast-track the procurement process to ensure the vaccine arrives in the country in good time by early next year.
He said a lot of countries have placed orders up to the end of next year and feared that if not careful, the country may receive their vaccines in 2022, when the disease would have been wiped out.
“The government should be clear on if it has placed orders, then fast-track the delivery of the vaccines so that they may be administered in good time. If we get late and we are coming to 2022 without having placed enough, then we may have those vaccines be when we do not need them,” said Wainaina.
He said once they get into the country, the government should have a guideline on how they will be administered adding that vaccinations should be free and priority be given to those on the frontline and the elderly.
“Let’s start by vaccinating health workers and other front line workers, then the elderly and other people and finally children since they have a high immunity to the virus,” he said.
Early this week, the Acting Director General of Health Patrick Amoth announced that the country had ordered 24 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine, enough to cover 20 per cent of the country’s population.
Acting Director General of Health Patrick Amoth said the Ministry had submitted its request of Sh10 billion to the global vaccine alliance Gavi last week.
He said once it arrives in the country, they will move to vaccinate frontline workers, then the vulnerable and the elderly.
By Muoki Charles
