By Lorraine Anyango and Faith Lawino Owour
At Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital, the covid 19 vaccine queue is progressive with residents ready for the jab.
“It is a thumbs up.” Gilbert Ouko, an IT expert, is up and down registering participants for the Covid-19 vaccine. Ouko too has been vaccinated and urges people to come out in large numbers to partake of the vaccine, for it promises life.
Ouko the IT guru however, notes of system jam while registering participants since it is a network shared countrywide. After the registration participants are declared ready to be attended to by the medics.
The vaccines available at JOOTRH are the Moderna second dose, the Astrazeneca second dose and the Pfizer vaccine which is available to those who are to be vaccinated for the first time.
Kennedy Ouko, a resident of Kisumu, is showing up for his second dose of Astrazeneca vaccine. Mr. Ouko accords that he was very happy when the World Health Organization invented the covid-19 vaccine.
He condones the rumors surrounding covid -19 vaccine saying the vaccine promotes health and it has no side effects. Mr Ouko’s only concern is that a lot of Kenyans are still in the dark about the vaccine and asks the Government together with the Ministry of Health to do a lot of sensitizations in the country.
Vallary Adhiambo, awaiting her second dose recalls how she used to lock herself indoors due to the fear of contracting the virus. She stopped going out with her friends and would fear coughing or sneezing in public.
Her problems heightened when the fear to get vaccinated surged through her, due to the stories she heard about the vaccine’s complication. However, after few convictions from family and friends, she agreed to go for first vaccination.
Miss Adhiambo’s experience after the vaccination was not bad at all as many people imagine, she only felt weak for two days and upto to now she is full of life. She enthusiastically awaits her second vaccine which is due in early January 2022.
In everything there is always a first time. Evans Okoth who is a driver by profession, sits patiently waiting for his turn to get the vaccine. He is quite anxious but hopes for the best. As a first timer, he is full of questions especially how the thin needle, little but mighty, will slowly find its way through his skin tissues on the left arm. He acknowledges that due to the kind of job he does, it is necessary to protect himself against corona virus. Furthermore, he has brought along few friends and family members to ensure they are all safe.
According to the Ministry of Health statistics show that the number of people turning up for the vaccine is increasing but still needs to improve.
According to the Ministry of Health statistics show that the number of people turning up for the vaccine is increasing but still needs to improve.
Additionally, the covid-19 infection rate has reduced to a lower percentage since the onset of covid-19 vaccination.
Mr .Ouko Gilbert who also works closely with the medics in charge of vaccination says that the hospital tends to vaccinate a lot of people as possible. This is also in preparation for the 2022 electioneering period where a lot of public rallies and campaigns are expected to take place.
His overall view about the vaccines is that they have minimal side effects and generally the vaccine is good for the health of the nation.
The novel pandemic Coronavirus, since December 2019, has not only been a nightmare but a thorn in the flesh for a lot of Kenyans.
The onset of Covid-19 in Kenya was coupled with a high rate of infections and lots of covid-19 deaths.
The country went on lockdown, travel was banned in some parts of the country and people lost jobs. Survival was hard.
However, the invention of Covid-19 vaccine was the only hope that people worldwide could hang on, it was the only weapon to fight off the deadly corona virus pandemic.
Nonetheless, the covid -19 vaccines were met with a lot of myths and low intake, rumors surrounded the new invent of vaccine with negativity without considering the efforts of medics who work tirelessly around the clock to save the world.
Currently, people across the world are learning to embrace the covid-19 vaccine and several citizens are turning out in numbers to get vaccinated. Though a good thing never lacks resistance, some people still fear getting vaccinated due fears and lack of sensitization about the vaccine.
The Government together with the Ministry of Health should liaise together to create awareness among the public on covid-19 vaccine. They should work together to demystify myths on the effects of covid -19 vaccine and make efforts to sensitize and educate the public on the benefits of the vaccine. It is therefore time for everyone to get vaccinated to prevent re-infection for it will be a waste of time for others to vaccinate and the rest remain unvaccinated. This poses a danger to people they surround for they can easily get the virus.