Kenya received its first shipment of coronavirus vaccine on Wednesday after weeks of anticipation. Many were of cause excited by the news as vibes of positivity rented the air. Following the vaccines’ arrival, President Uhuru Kenyatta paid a visit to the state’s national vaccine depot.
The first batch contained over one million AstraZeneca vaccines which were imported from India. Several other African states have been receiving covid vaccines from the COVAX facility. Some have even kicked off their vaccination campaigns. Countries like Nigeria, Angola, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, and DRC are among the states that have received their first batch of vaccines. Ghana happened to be the first African state to receive covid vaccines from COVAX.
What Happened Amid Uhuru’s Visit?
During the visit, President Kenyatta praised the coordination and efforts that authorities, including health workers, have contributed to curbing the virus. He acknowledged the progress that Kenya was making in fighting the pandemic, mentioning that African cohesion has contributed to African states being considered during the distribution of the vaccines.
“We are standing here today barely a few weeks after most developed countries, and we have kicked off our process of vaccination. Initially, we would have to wait years and years while the rest of the world is moving ahead. This time around, because of the proactive nature we adopted, we are barely weeks behind the rest of the world because of working together as an African continent. And this is the spirit we need to adopt until we curb the virus.”
Kenyans Reaction to the Vaccine
There were mixed reactions when the vaccine arrived in the country. Some people were for it while others against it, saying that they were not sure if the vaccine could prove harmful. Nonetheless, today, health workers were the first to receive the vaccination, serving as an example and urging citizens to remain optimistic.
More so as the experts involved in the vaccine-making process were highly skilled, with the needed knowledge. As much as the vaccines are still a trial, many need to trust in the process so that we can get to find a solution.
Vaccine Hoarding
Meanwhile, controversies on the distribution of vaccines became a significant concern at the start of this year. Sources alleged that developed countries were hoarding vaccines at the expense of the under-developed ones. South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, was among the leading figures to point out the issue.
Similarly, the World Health Organization has warned against vaccine nationalism, especially the developed states with freer financial means. WHO added that more so as the virus was endemic, equitable distribution and unity were mandatory for the pandemic to end.
In the meantime, the COVAX scheme has been supplying states across Africa to ensure the fair distribution of vaccines. The COVAX scheme aims to distribute millions of vaccines to dozens of countries in Africa within the first a hundred days of 2021 and two billion doses by the end of the year. The fight against covid as despite countries enacting the stringent measures, new cases of the virus are still emerging.
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