Trans Nzoia carrying out sensitization ahead of mass vaccination against Measles and Typhoid

A health officer vaccinating a child at a hospital in Trans Nzoia/HANDOUT

Trans Nzoia County has initiated a health sensitisation campaign in preparation for the upcoming major national vaccination drive targeting measles-rubella and typhoid.

The county targets to inoculate over 600,000 children against the two diseases and comes amid growing concern over the resurgence of vaccine-preventable ailments.

Health stakeholders in Saboti subcounty and other areas convened to strategise and mobilise the community ahead of the July rollout of a countywide vaccination campaign. 

The meeting brought together county health officials, healthcare workers, teachers and community leaders to enhance public awareness and support.

Saboti nurse in charge, Millicent Mitei, stressed the urgency of the initiative, noting the rising threat of measles outbreaks.

“Measles remains one of the leading causes of death among children. It is highly contagious and spreads rapidly, especially in schools if not addressed through timely vaccination,” Mitei said.

She cited global data showing 10.3 million measles cases reported in 2023 – a 20 per cent increase from the previous year – with 107,500 deaths, mostly in low-income countries. 

Africa accounted for 64 per cent of the global caseload, with over 6.6 million cases, attributed in part to disrupted immunisation services following the Covid-19 pandemic.

The upcoming campaign will target children aged nine months to five years with the measles-rubella vaccine. 

Children born between July 2011 and October 2024 will receive the Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (TCV).

To ensure broad coverage, the campaign will utilise multiple strategies, including mobile clinics, school outreach, door-to-door visits and community mobilisation by health volunteers. 

Churches and other communal spaces will also serve as vaccination points.

Mitei underscored the burden of typhoid among children under 15 in Kenya, linking its prevalence to poor water and sanitation.

“WASH – Water, Sanitation and Hygiene – is critical in the fight against typhoid,” she said, adding that countries such as Zimbabwe, Nepal and Pakistan have recorded significant success using TCV.

The vaccine, which can be administered alongside other nine-month immunisations such as yellow fever and measles-rubella, will be incorporated into Kenya’s routine immunisation schedule post-campaign.

The Kenya National Immunisation Technical Advisory Group has endorsed the TCV formulation for its efficacy, which ranges between 79 and 85 per cent in young children.

Parents and guardians are being urged to present their children for the free vaccines.

“Immunisation not only protects individual children,” Mitei noted, “it also shields entire communities.”

Other counties in the region, including Uasin Gishu, Nandi and Elgeyo Marakwet, have also stepped up sensitisation ahead of the vaccination campaign.