Vihiga is set to roll out Covid-19 vaccination by Friday, programme controller Edith Anjere has said.
Anjere told the Star that the exercise, which was to be rolled out on Monday, was put on hold because of Governor Wilber Ottichilo's tight schedule. He will be the first to be vaccinated in the county.
“The programme will be in three phases. Phase one will start with all health workers across the county and their subordinate staff,” she said.
She added that security officers in the county will be vaccinated in the first phase as well because of "their continuous interaction with the infected people while in the line of duty".
The county received its first batch of vaccines last Friday.
Vihiga had registered five Covid-19 cases since January 1.
The second phase will cover those with chronic diseases.
“These people with chronic illness such as diabetic, cancer, TB and [blood] pressure, among others... their immune system is very low and this is why we will prioritise them after the service providers in the county,” she said.
The third phase will focus on the elderly and street families.
Anjere said children under 18 years will not be vaccinated.
Initially, Governor Ottichilo had said health workers, people with chronic illnesses and the aged would be given the first priority.
“When this vaccine come, I am just urging my people to come out in large numbers to be vaccinated so that we won’t be stressed any more with this virus,” Ottichilo said at the county referral hospital, where he was receiving medical equipment from Equity Bank.