Kiambu County has rolled the Covid-19 vaccine for its health workers with calls to those administering the vaccine not to commercialise the exercise.
The exercise that was held at the Thika Level Five Hospital today targets to vaccinate over 6,000 health care workers from public and private hospitals as well as faith-based health centres.
Kiambu Health CEC Joseph Murega said they have received 13,500 doses of the vaccine and called on the health care workers to embrace the opportunity to boost their Covid-19 immunity.
He said the exercises will be conducted at Thika and Kiambu Level Five Hospitals.
“This is the time we have been waiting for and it is now your time to take the vaccine. We have suffered enough from the virus as front-line workers. It is time to protect yourselves,” he said.
He said Covid-19 cases in the county had slowly gone down since the beginning of the year, but insisted that they were on the up again, calling for more caution among residents.
Patrick Nyaga, the county’s Health Chief Officer who was among the first to receive the jab expressed relief that he would soon be immune to the virus that has claimed several lives across the world.
An elated Nyaga said the vaccine could not have come at a better time, given the life-threatening situations that they have been through fighting the virus in the wards.
He said he has done more than 10 covid-19 tests, after exposure which came with lots of fears of contracting the virus.
“After losing several of my colleagues, classmates and close friends to the virus, I have been waiting for the vaccine to set myself free from fears of contracting the disease. I’m now looking forward to May 8, to receive the second jab,” he said.
The County has reported almost 7,000 Covid cases, and has been among the Covid-19 hotspots in the country. It also has 3,500 health care workers and lost one of its senior health workers, the Thika Level Five Hospital Deputy Medical Superintended Dr Jacklyn Njoroge to Covid-19 last year.
by Muoki Charles
