In a new effort to accelerate the fight against Covid-19 across the country, the government yesterday issued new health regulations that seek to prevent a surge of the disease.

With the country experiencing a new wave of infections, Health Director General Dr Patrick Amoth in a letter to all county executive members for health says the government has introduced Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine for all children aged 12 years and above.

In the new directions arrived at following technical guidance from the Kenya National Technical Advisory Group (KENITAG), individuals who received Moderna or AstraZeneca vaccine can now receive Pfizer vaccine as a second dose at the scheduled time of the second dose.

“Individuals who received one dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine as the primary series are eligible for a first booster, two months after the first dose,” he added in the letter dated July 28.

New directives

At the same time, individuals who complete the primary series with either AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer or Sinopharm vaccines are eligible for the first booster, six months after the last dose.“For first booster doses, any of the following vaccines can be used – AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson. Individuals who received a first booster dose should be offered a second booster dose, six months after the first booster dose. An mRNA vaccine (Moderna of Pfizer) should be provided as a second booster,” revealed Amoth.

In a new directive, Amoth while appreciating the counties’ effort in complementing the Covid-19 vaccine deployment exercise urged the devolved units to ensure that Covid-19 inoculation services are expanded to all routine immunisation facilities.

“The purpose of this letter is to bring this to your attention and ask that you ensure compliance by officers serving under you,” the health director told health CECs across the 47 counties.

So far, the country has recorded over 338,000 Covid-19 cases since the killer disease hit the country in March 2020 while at least 5,672 have died as a result.

In June this year, scientists warned of the sixth wave of Covid-19 and asked Kenyans not to drop their guard.

Experts have been urging the citizens to wear their masks as the country continues to battle the new wave of Covid-19 infections. Since the start of May, the Covid-19 positive rate hit a high of 5.6 per cent and averaged at 3.3 per cent weekly.