COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake: Is it the Key to Normalcy?

Abstract

The WHO declared COVID-19 a Public Health Emergency on January 30, 2020, and a pandemic on March 11, 2020. Kenya confirmed its first case on March 12, 2020. The WHO’s call for equitable global vaccine access led to Kenya receiving 1.02 million doses of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine via the COVAX facility on March 3, 2021. Kenya’s phased vaccine rollout targeted front-line workers, individuals over 50, those with co-morbidities, and other vulnerable groups. Nakuru County Department of Health, with World Relief’s SCOPE COVID project, reviewed patient data from March 2020 to July 2021. COVID-19 cases were distributed across age groups, with more cases in adults. By July 2021, 68,692 people had received the first vaccine dose and 40,985 the second dose. Healthcare workers, security officers, teachers, and individuals over 58 showed significant vaccine uptake. The elderly had the highest vaccine uptake, with 3.18% of Nakuru’s population receiving the first dose and 1.9% the second by July 2021. Front-line workers and vulnerable groups had the highest vaccination rates. Continued advocacy and government efforts are essential for increasing vaccine uptake and returning to normalcy.