Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has expressed concern over the low uptake of Covid-19 vaccination by tutors countrywide. TSC chief executive Dr Nancy Macharia said though many schools could be vulnerable to the virus out of 480,671 teachers from both public and private institutions targeted for vaccination, only 178,734 had received the first jab, while 110,342 others had been given the second dose. Speaking when she inaugurated Covid-19 vaccination for teachers at the Nakuru Level 5 Teaching and Referral Hospital Ms Macharia noted that there were enough vaccines for 330,671 teachers from public schools and 157,000 others in private schools across the country, including the support staff. “There is no shortage of vaccines for teachers and other school workers. Learning institutions will be safe as long as teachers are vaccinated.
All teachers and support staff in our schools be allowed to take Covid-19 vaccinations as part of the measures to ensure our schools are safe from the virus,” added the TSC chief executive. She was flanked by Rift Valley Regional Commissioner George Natembeya, Nakuru County Commissioner Erastus Mbui Mwenda and County Executive Committee Member for Health Dr Zachary Kariuki Gichuki. Dr Macharia said it is necessary for teachers to take the jab to curb the spread of infections in learning institutions. Experts say many children are asymptomatic. In April this year President Uhuru Kenyatta directed all teachers and support staff, irrespective of their ages, to get the Covid-19 vaccine. Initially, on
ly teachers aged 57 and above were eligible for vaccination. He was responding to concerns that infections were being reported in some schools.
Dr Macharia stressed the need to exercise individual responsibility as schools close for half term reminding Kenyans to avoid crowds, parties and funerals, which she termed as super spreading avenues. She revealed that so far, 549 teachers had tested positive for the virus out of which 468 had fully recovered and 81 others succumbed to the deadly virus. “We have lost head teachers, deputy head teachers and scores of teachers in both public and private institutions. TSC has already instructed teachers’ health insurance providers to cover all teachers against any Covid-19-related ailments. In January, the ministry negotiated with the commission’s medical insurance provider to cover all teachers who contracted Covid-19,” Ms Macharia pointed out
Dr Gichuki noted that 13,147 teachers had received the first covid-19 vaccine jab in Nakuru County, while 7,957 others had been given the dose. “It is our interest that our teachers receive vaccines as a preventive measure. We must protect all our front line workers until the country achieves herd immunity,” stated Dr Gichuki. In the past 24 hours, revealed the CEC 30 new covid-19 cases had been confirmed in the devolved unit with 8 fatalities reported. So far 10,596 cases have been diagnosed in Nakuru. 84 other patients are on supplementary oxygen. Mr Natembeya indicated that teachers were influential members of the society who could be used as goodwill ambassadors to encourage the population to embrace vaccination. Reluctance by a section of teachers to shun vaccination, Mr Natembeya noted, could dent efforts to fight the spread of Covid-19.
He dispelled fears over the safety of the vaccines and instead urged Kenyans to embrace the jab. “Am assuring Kenyans that a single shot of the vaccine is highly protective as it reduces the chances of someone getting ill and needing hospital treatment by more than 80 per cent, the exercise has been rolled out in other hospitals across the County. While citing the emergence of potent variants of Covid-19 strain from other countries, Mr Mwenda urged the public to continue observing the set containment measures regardless of the availability of the vaccine. “Vaccination is just one of the interventions in the war against the virus. The most important is observing MoH protocols. Please do not lower your guard,” he said.