The Kenyan government is seeking acquire two million doses of Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson vaccines to bolster its vaccination campaign.
The country’s Health Minister Mutahi Kagwe says the additional doses will be used to supplement the vaccines supplied through the UN-led Covax scheme.
Kenya has so far vaccinated over 700,000 people with the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.
The East African nation received just over a million doses through the global Covax scheme in early March.
But pharmaceutical manufacturing giant India recently decided to halt vaccine exports in order to prioritise its citizens – throwing Covax supply chains in doubt.
Many African governments have been forced to look elsewhere for future next batches.
AstraZeneca was an ideal choice for many, due to its easier storage requirements. The Pfizer vaccine might prove difficult to roll out in Kenya, as the country does not have the necessary cold-storage facilities.
However Mr Kagwe says Kenya plans to buy the special fridges required to store the vaccines once they have been delivered.
Data from the government shows that more men are taking the vaccines compared to women. But many members of the public are sceptical about being vaccinated.
Source: BBC
