Health Acting Director-General Patrick Amoth
(pictured) said the low price of the vaccine compared to other candidates’ was one of the reasons Kenya settled for it.
Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which US, Singapore and Canada have ordered, goes for Sh2,000 per dose, followed by Moderna, which costs between Sh1,500 and Sh1,700 a dose.
AstraZeneca goes for between Sh400 and Sh600 a dose.
Dr Amoth noted that the AstraZeneca vaccine was also suitable for the country’s cold chain logistics, as it can be stored under temperatures of between 2°C and 8°C.
“The other two vaccines require a unique cold chain system that most countries do not have,” he said in reference to Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.