Vaccine may not deliver relief from Covid-19 surge

Dr Alex Awiti, Vice Provost of the Aga Khan University in Kenya, writes that the future looks grim as Kenya’s Covid-19 cases soar exponentially and fatalities surge since October. Mass immunisation, especially in Africa, will face huge hurdles. The vaccine breakthrough is a big deal. However, a vaccine will not turn around the catastrophic global surge of Covid-19 infections. People must continue to enforce with renewed fervor the tried and tested non-pharmaceutical interventions; use of face masks, sanitiser and strict observance of social distancing.