MoH to vaccinate 2021 candidates ahead of university admission

The Ministry of Health is planning to start vaccinating more than 800,000 students who sat the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KSCE) examination before they join universities and colleges in July.

Health Principal Secretary Susan Mochache asked the students to take the Covid-19 jab as they await to know their placement in the institutions of higher learning. The move is meant to prevent the spread of the virus in the schools.

“We are keen to reach more than 800,000 young people who completed their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination in April 2022 and have now joined the community as they wait to get admitted to various institutions of higher learning.

“As most of them will start joining various colleges from July 2022, we appeal to all their parents and guardians to encourage the young adults to be vaccinated before they join their next level of education,” Mochache said.

The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Services (KUCCPS) which closed its portal on Friday is expected to announce the student’s placement by mid this month.

Mochache also stated that the ministry plans to vaccinate 50 percent of the young population aged 15-17 by the end of the year. The ministry also noted that only 8.4 million adults have been vaccinated while 26 million Kenyans are still unvaccinated, posing a risk of a spike in the positivity rate.

The ministry has not had campaigns targeting college and university students and this plan is not compulsory but will follow health guidelines.