Features

Get Covid-19 vaccine to keep virus at bay

Thursday, August 26th, 2021 00:00 | By
Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson.
Johnson & Johnson

The Covid-19 pandemic is still ravaging countries. It is still as vicious if not more potent than it was months ago.

Families are raising funds to treat their sick, others are burying their dead in less dignified manner thanks to the virus.

Whereas everyone wants to pick up the pieces and resume normal lives, this has not been easy because of the variants that keep popping up when societies think all is well.

The United Kingdom reopened its economy and it was because they felt they had vaccinated a sizable chunk of its population to keep the virus at bay. 

Experts concur that a vaccine will protect an individual from hospitalisation or suffering adverse effects of the virus.

More than 5.04 billion vaccine doses have been administered worldwide, equal to 66 doses for every 100 people.

The United Arab Emirates is the leading nation in terms of the number of vaccines administered in the world as at yesterday 86 per cent of its adult population had been vaccinated with 75 per cent fully vaccinated. In Kenya, the statistics are grim. 

A paltry three per cent of the adult population has been given at least one dose with less than one per cent fully vaccinated.

This realisation prompted the President to plead with Kenyans to get the injection.

While he said no one will be forced to take the vaccine, he underscored that it is in the interest of all adults, especially the vulnerable, to get the dose. There is a glimmer of hope going by the count of the last three days.

More than 300,000 Kenyans have been vaccinated from Friday to Wednesday. 

And what makes the numbers even better is that the population is spread across the country’s demographics.

However, looking at the pace at which Kenyans are opting to take the vaccine there is much more that needs to be done. 

For starters the government should ensure as many outlets as possible have vaccines so that getting one is not a bother.

Civic education to counter the myths and misinformation will help with the inoculation. 

Long term strategies such as what the President announced that the Government is working to establish a Covid-19 vaccine facility, just like South Africa, to get a steady supply of ‘our own’ vaccines is welcome. But before then, lets pull all stops to get as many Kenyans as possible vaccinated. 

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