Why you will be late to take your 2nd COVID-19 vaccine dose

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 12- The more than 950,000 people in Kenya that received the AstraZeneca vaccine first dose, might have to wait a little bit longer for a second dose.

Initially, they were supposed to receive the second dose after 8 weeks, but the government has not reviewed that for 12 weeks, meaning they will have to wait for 4 more weeks.

The delay, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe on Wednesday explained is occasioned by the dire situation of COVID-19 in India, where a new variant has ravaged the country, claiming thousands of lives daily.

You see, the Heath Cabinet Secretary said in a statement, the vaccine is manufactured by the Serum Institute of India.

The situation, Kagwe said, “has caused delays in deliveries of COVAX vaccines scheduled for the period of April and May 2021.”

What next for Kenya and other African countries under the COVAX programme?

“In view of current advise by WHO that second dose can be taken after eight to twelve weeks for an optimal immune response against COVID-19, the ministry last week revised the period for the administration of the 2nd dose of the AstraZeneca to twelve weeks,” Kagwe said.

He however added that “Even as we remain hopeful of the shipment of the 2nd dose through the Covax mechanism, we are pursuing other avenues to ensure that this will happen.”

Such other avenues include plans to acquire 30 million doses of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, through the African Union.

If acquired, he said the Ministry will be able to vaccinate at least 60 percent of the adult population, consequently attaining a herd immunity within 12 months.

So far, the country has vaccinated 925,509 people against the disease.