Kenyan Doctor Stella Ogake Among First to Get Covid-19 Vaccine in US
A Kenyan-born and trained doctor was among the health care professionals who gotย the much anticipatedย Pfizer/BioNTechย Covid-19 vaccineย thatย was rolled out in the United Statesย on Monday, December 14.
Dr.ย Stella Ogake, a pulmonary and critical care specialist at theย Ohio State University Wexner Medical Centre in Colombus, Ohio emotionally exclaimed that the vaccine allayed her fears of getting the virus andย infecting herย family.
“I feel great. I just got the vaccine, it was not painful at all. I do not know how I am going to feel in the next few hours, but I feel good.
“For us who are on the front lineย taking care of these patients, it is such a moment of hope because we can see the light. We can see the end of this pandemic,” Ogake stated in an interview withย CNN.
Ogake studied at Moi Girls’ High School, Eldoret before joining Moi University College of Health Sciences for a degree in medicine between 2002 and 2008.
She later worked at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi before sheย relocated to the US.
Ogake who is also an assistant professor of internal medicine in pulmonary and critical care at Wexner, noted that her work in the ICU had been overwhelming overย the past couple of months.
The roll-out of the vaccine gives priority to healthcare workers asย the US passesย 300,000ย Covid-19 deaths.
Top health officials had already issued a warning that dailyย new deaths might not slow for months, even with a vaccine.
In Kenya, reports indicate that the country has orderedย 24 million doses ofย Covid-19 vaccineย enough to cover 20 percent of the country’s population at aย cost of Ksh10 billion.
Theย request for the vaccineย was submitted to the Global Vaccine Alliance (Gavi) by the Ministry of Health.
Though the arrival of the vaccine is expected early next year, there is no specific timeframe given.
Byย
Source-https://www.kenyans.co.ke/
Kenyan Doctor Stella Ogake Among First to Get Covid-19 Vaccine in US
