NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 26- People who have completed the primary COVID-19 vaccination series can now get a booster shot after 6 months, Kenya’s Ministry of Health has said.
Ag. Director of Health Dr. Patrick Amoth said in a circular to the Counties that it can either be of Astrazeneca, Moderna, or Pzifer, Amoth said.
“The same or different vaccine can be used for the additional dose,” he said.
The government is targeting to vaccinate at least 30 million adults by end of December 2022. Kenya has administered at least 9, 534, 806 doses of COVID vaccines so far. Total first doses are 5, 618, 295.
The new directive is captured in an updated circular to County Governments, amidst a surge in the number of positive cases.
In the updated measures, Amoth said pregnant women can be vaccinated.
He said pregnant women should be offered Pzifer or Moderna vaccines at any gestational age.
“The vaccine can safely be co-administered with Td. Pregnant women who begin vaccination with other types of COVID-19 vaccine should complete vaccination using the same vaccine,” he said.
He has also directed that the Pzifer COVID-19 vaccine should be offered to children who are 15 years of age and above.
Meanwhile, Kenyans who took Moderna as their first vaccine against COVID-19 disease can take Astrazeneca as their second dose.
Amoth said the second dose for those who fall under the category should be administered after 28 days.
By Saturday, Kenya had 281, 358 confirmed cases of COVID, out of which 249, 937 have recovered from the disease.
So far, the disease has claimed 5, 359 lives in Kenya.
According to the Ministry of Health, the country’s positivity rate is currently at 32.7 percent.
Only 14.4 percent of Kenya’s adult population has been vaccinated against the disease.
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