Kenya Orders Doses of China-Made Sinopharm COVID-19 Vaccine

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe says that Kenya has made an order for the China-made COVID-19 vaccine, Sinopharm which is reported to be 79 percent effective.

Addressing reporters at Afya House on Friday, CS Kagwe indicated that doses of the vaccine are expected to arrive in the country in February.

“By the end of the second week of February, we might have the vaccine. Police, teachers, and health care workers will be vaccinated first. There will be no mandatory vaccination of anyone. It will be for those who are willing," said Kagwe.

Last month, acting director-general of health Patrick Amoth disclosed that Kenya will this year receive 24 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX facility for free.

COVAX was created by several organizations including GAVI, CEPI, and WHO with an aim of accelerating the development and manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines, and guarantee fair and equitable access for every country in the world.

The facility is expected to deliver two billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines for millions of people mainly in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and the Pacific by the end of 2021.

Amoth further indicated that the government ordered an additional 12 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine at a cost of Sh10 billion. The Health Ministry submitted its request for the vaccines on December 7th.

Amoth noted that although Kenya prefers the Oxford/Astrazeneca vaccine, it is open to other vaccines provided by COVAX.

“We are open to other vaccines such as the Chinese Sinopharm, Russia’s Sputnik V, Pfizer-/Biontech’s, and Moderna’s based on safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy levels,” Amoth added.