More than 120,000 people in Siaya County failed to turn up for the second dosage of the Covid 19 vaccines following the relaxation of the protocols, health officials in the region have said.
According to the county coordinator of immunization, Joshua Ondiege, his department has been facing an uphill task convincing the locals to take up vaccination, even as the sixth wave of the corona virus is taking a toll on the residents.
Addressing the media at the county health offices today, Ondiege said that most of the defaulters were people who were reached during mass campaigns through schools, colleges and public places such as markets.
“The relaxation of the Covid 19 protocols saw most people drop their guard and stop putting on masks” he said adding: “We have experienced low numbers of people turning up for vaccination as a result.”
Ondiege said that the vaccination coverage in the county stands at a paltry 35% adding: “We need to reach up to 60% to be sure that we have attained the hard immunity” he said.
The official said their data shows that 337,124 individuals got the first dose of the various vaccines but only 209,750 went for the second jab.
Ondiege said that the county has experienced an upsurge of the positive cases reported since May, 2022 when one case was reported in the first week of the month.
He said that the number increased to eight cases in the second week of May and currently, the number of positive cases stands at 15.
The health officer called on Siaya residents to be vigilant and adhere to the Covid 19 protocols if the county was to successfully stop its spread.
“The only way is through vaccination and we are encouraging our people who have been vaccinated to get a booster vaccine” he said.
