Relief as BCG and Polio vaccines arrive in the country
Duale urges parents and caregivers across the country to visit local health facilities to have their children vaccinated
The ministry of Health has called on parents whose children who missed BCG and Polio vaccines in the last six months to expeditiously take them for vaccination.
This follows the arrival of three million doses of the BCG vaccine, largely used to prevent TB, and 3.2 million doses of the oral polio vaccine, which he says is a major boost to the country’s immunisation efforts.
“Parents and caregivers across the country are encouraged to visit local health facilities to have their children vaccinated and catch up on any missed doses,” Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said.
To cure future inadequacies, Duale says there have been serious engagements between the ministry of Health and the National Treasury to ensure no rationalisation of the country’s budget will affect immunization.
Consequently, the CS noted that monies meant for immunisation must be ring-fenced and released with immediacy, as most global trends sometimes are not in favour of resource availability.
Citing a global shortage of the rotavirus vaccine, Duale also noted efforts to make sure the vaccine is brought into the country before a severe shortage is expected in the next quarter of 2025 are in top gear.
Duale urged county governments to prioritize picking them at the regional centres and dispense them as soon as possible.
Health Director General Patrick Amoth says despite the country’s milestones of having 80 out of 100 children having received key vaccines, there must be a zeal to reach the required targets of 100 per cent.
The vaccines come as a relief as there has been a growing concern over the absence of the crucial vaccines across the country, as many health facilities raised alarm, as the vaccines are extremely essential when a child is born.
The vaccines arrived in the country on Wednesday night and were received by Medical Services Principal Secretary Ouma Oluga at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
Oluga attributed the challenges being experienced to global bottlenecks that were making it difficult for countries to access the commodities.
