Govt to launch biggest ever measles vaccination campaign

The Ministry of Health is scheduled to launch Kenya’s biggest ever vaccination campaign against Measles and Rubella diseases targeting virtually half of Kenya’s population.

According to a statement from the Head of the Health Promotion Unit Dr Sammy Mahugu, the Health Ministry will be targeting 19 million Kenyans aged between 9 months and 14 years in the vaccination campaign slotted to take place between 16th and 24th May 2016 in all 47 counties of Kenya.

“We shall also be targeting women of reproductive age (15 to 49 years) with the Tetanus vaccine to protect future newborns in 11 highest risk counties in Kenya,” read the statement in part.

“Given the magnitude of this campaign, it is essential that we engage the media fraternity at the highest level in order to ensure that the campaign is successful.”

In September 2015, two children aged nine months died and four others were admitted at a hospital in Mokoro, Marakwet East after they were given a measles vaccine.

According to County Executive Committee Member for Health in Elgeyo Marakwet Thomas Rutto, the children died after they received their normal measles vaccine.

Elgeyo Marakwet Governor Alex Tolgos stopped the vaccination process until the cause of the deaths was clear.

The then Director of Medical Services, Dr. Nicholas Muraguri, assured members of the public that the vaccine administered in the national immunization outreach programme was safe for use.