The initiative, which kicked off the Nyalenda Health and Wellness Centre, introduces the Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (TCV) for the first time in the county.
Health officials say Kisumu records approximately 12,900 cases of typhoid annually, with children under 15 bearing the brunt of the disease.
County commissioner Benson Leparmorijo, Kisumu health executive
Gregory Ganda and county EPI logistician Florence Aketch during typhoid
vaccination at Nyalenda Health Awareness Centre /FAITH MATETE
Kisumu county has launched a mass immunisation campaign
aimed at protecting more than 459,000 children from typhoid fever, one of the
region’s most persistent public health concerns.
The initiative, which began at the Nyalenda Health and
Wellness Centre, introduces the Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (TCV) for the first
time in the county.
The campaign is part of a nationwide effort running from
July 5 to 14, targeting children aged nine months to 14 years.
Health officials say Kisumu records approximately 12,900
cases of typhoid annually, with children under 15 bearing the brunt of the
disease.
“This isn’t just another health campaign—it’s a matter of
saving lives,” said County Commissioner Benson Leparmorijo during the official
launch.
He noted that over 60 per cent of typhoid-related deaths in
Kenya affect children.
“Here in Kisumu, many suffer silently, some never diagnosed.
This vaccine is free, safe and could mean the difference between life and
death.”
Leparmorijo called on community leaders, parents, teachers
and Nyumba Kumi members to spread awareness and ensure all eligible children
are vaccinated during the campaign window.
The vaccine, now part of Kenya’s national immunisation
schedule and endorsed by the World Health Organization, is being offered
alongside the Measles-Rubella vaccine for children aged nine to 59 months.
In Kisumu alone, this
adds another 159,000 children to the immunisation effort.
According to Health CEC Gregory Ganda, the introduction of
TCV represents a crucial step in tackling typhoid, especially given the
challenges in accurate diagnosis.
“Many health centres rely on rapid diagnostic kits that
often give misleading results,” Ganda said.
He added, “We need prevention more than ever and this
vaccine gives us that chance.”
The county health boss encouraged parents to ensure their
children receive both TCV and Measles-Rubella vaccines to build long-term
protection.
Florence Akech, the county’s Expanded Programme on
Immunisation Coordinator, confirmed that 156 fixed vaccination sites have been
established across all eight subcounties.
Mobile outreach teams
are also active in schools, churches, markets and even funerals to reach more
children.
“We’ve seen that children under 15 are most at risk. Typhoid
has claimed too many young lives already,” she said. “After this campaign, TCV
will be administered routinely at nine months of age. We want every caregiver
to know where and how to access it.”
To boost turnout, community health volunteers have been
deployed to provide door-to-door education, answer questions and direct families to the nearest vaccination
sites.
Akech added that the campaign is also an opportunity to
recover ground lost during the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted routine
immunisations and left many children unprotected.
The Kisumu campaign is supported by WHO, UNICEF, Gavi – the
Vaccine Alliance, PATH, the Clinton Health Access Initiative, and the Kenya Red
Cross Society, marking one of the most coordinated health drives in recent
years.
To build public confidence, the first child to receive the
vaccine at the launch was the daughter of a nurse from the Nyalenda facility
vaccinated in front of county and national leaders.