Concerns over low teacher vaccination in Coast

By Amoto Andiewo

Concerns have been raised over the low number of teachers who have received the Covid -19 vaccination in coast region. 

Tana River County Director of Education Joseph Nyaga said only 39% of teachers in the region  have been vaccinated.

‘’As a county we have sensitised our teachers on the importance  of getting    the Covid  -19 vaccine  but there is still a  lot of vaccine  hesitancy as  the uptake is still  very low,’’ said Nyaga.

Teachers Service Commission (TSC) revealed that 200,000 or 73 per cent of teachers have not been vaccinated in Kenya. The country has over 15 million leaners in both primary and secondary schools.

In October last year, two secondary schools in Coast were closed after 15 students in the schools tested positive for Covid-19.Some 11 teachers from Tononoka high school and 4 from Mama Ngina High school tested positive for the virus.  A few weeks later, Tononoka High School principal Mohamed Khamis succumbed to coronavirus complications.      

 Nyaga said that despite the national and county governments putting in place measures to curb Covid -19 in schools, parents are still worried about their children.

 According Kenya Medical Association (KMA), the country is experiencing the fourth wave of Covid-19   which they described as lethal with a positivity rate of 15.6%.

KMA president Were Onyino said the steady rise of Covid-19 in the county is worrying. He  urged education institutions  to increase  their surveillance  and  strictly  adhere to  the protocols  issued  by the ministry of health  to protect  learners and provide a safe learning  environment  .

 ‘’As we combat this fourth wave, we urge all Kenyans, especially teachers and students to  follow the Covid-19  protocols to reduce the strain on our healthcare facilities,’’ said Nyaga.