Over 182,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses arrive in Kenya, donated by France

Nairobi, 8 July 2021 – This morning around 07:45, 182,400 doses of the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, in Nairobi. The vaccines were donated by the Government of France to the COVAX facility and transported by UNICEF. The flight was met at the airport by senior Kenya Government officials led by Dr Willis Akhwale, the Ministry of Health Chairman of COVID Vaccine Deployment Taskforce, French Political Counsellor Emmanuel Dagron and UNICEF Representative Maniza Zaman.

“The Kenya Government is very grateful to the Government of France for this generous donation, which will support our national COVID-19 vaccination campaign,” Dr Akhwale said. “We have recently embarked on vaccinating our people for the second dose, so this comes at a critical time. It will ensure our health workers, teachers and other essential workers are protected, and that our health centres countrywide can continue providing vital care to people affected by COVID-19.”

On behalf of the French Ambassador to Kenya and Somalia Aline Kuster-Menager, Mr Dagron said, “France, EU and COVAX are keen to work with the Kenyan government in its effort to tackle COVID-19. We hope that these 182 400 doses of vaccine will help to give access to a second dose to many at-risk Kenyans. President Macron has pledged to give 60 million doses of vaccine to countries in need around the world, including Kenya, before the end of 2021. By the end of June, 2.6 million doses have already been distributed. We definitely need to work together to solve this pandemic.”

The roll out of the national vaccination campaign is being led by the Ministry of Health, with support from WHO, UNICEF, Gavi and other partners. The Government of Kenya is currently prioritising second doses for health workers, teachers, other essential workers and people aged over 58. As well as procuring and transporting vaccines, UNICEF is transporting the vaccines, managing cold chain capacity and in collaboration with WHO, is supporting the Ministry of Health in areas of planning, technical support, capacity building, risk communication and community engagement.

“COVID-19 vaccines save lives, keep health and other essential services running, and support the recovery from the pandemic. That’s why UNICEF is pleased to once again be supporting the Government of Kenya in procuring and transporting these vital vaccines,” UNICEF Representative to Kenya Maniza Zaman said. “Vaccine equity is essential if we are to ensure that everyone at risk from COVID-19 gets vaccinated, wherever they live. In some high-income countries, young people are now being vaccinated, while in Africa many health workers, teachers and elderly people are still unprotected. We have to keep working to make the issue of vaccine availability and access much fairer than it is currently.”

WHO urges the public to sustain public health measures and welcomes the gesture by the French government for the Kenyan people.

 “Thanks to donations like these, frontline health workers in Kenya who have yet to get their second dose of COVID-19 vaccine, have another opportunity and will be protected as they treat COVID patients and provide essential health services,” WHO Representative to Kenya Dr Rudi Eggers said.

 “I can assure health workers and the Kenyan public that these vaccines are safe and effective. With vaccination, we shall get much closer to ending this pandemic. Please let us continue with public health measures and wear masks, continue with regular hand washing, social distancing and avoid congested gatherings and settings.”

Photos and video

You can download photos and video of the vaccines arriving in Kenya here: Link to photos and videos