• The counties were selected based on a risk assessment conducted by the ministry.
• In some counties, Vitamin A supplements will also be provided during the campaign.
Image: MAGDALINE SAYA
Health teams are from Friday to be sent to vaccinate children in 22 countries the government has designated as hotspots for measles-rubella.
The Ministry of Health will deploy health workers in Garissa, Mandera, Wajir, Kilifi, Tana River, Kajiado, Narok, Baringo, Bomet, Trans Nzoia, Turkana, West Pokot, Bungoma, Busia, Kakamega, Vihiga, Homa Bay, Kisii, Kisumu, Migori, Elgeyo Marakwet and Nairobi.
Unicef and the World Health Organization are partnering with the Health ministry to deliver the jabs until July 5.
Dr Peter Okoth, a health specialist at Unicef Kenya, said the teams will vaccinate children in all the health facilities providing immunisation services.
The health workers will also establish temporary posts where the children will be brought for vaccination, including open-air markets, schools and churches.
“A risk assessment was done where we looked at how have the counties been performing in terms of immunisation. Are the children receiving the first and second dose of the vaccine? And looking at the number of children who have not been vaccinated,” Dr Okoth said.
“We also looked at whether the counties have had the measles cases or outbreaks reported, then consolidating this to find which counties are at the highest risk of the measles outbreak.”
The last vaccination drive was rolled out in 2016 and at least 1.6 million children are estimated to be susceptible to outbreaks.
“Currently in Kenya, 85 per cent received the first dose of the vaccine in 2020 at nine months but only 50 per cent received the second dose administered at 18 months.
"This shows that there are so many children who have not received even one dose of the vaccine and even more children have not received the recommended two doses of the vaccine to confer them adequate protection,” he said.
The immunisation is meant to prevent illness and deaths from measles-rubella outbreaks in Kenya. Children aged between nine months and five years are targeted. In some counties, Vitamin A supplements will also be provided during the campaign.
Experts have warned of a possible large outbreak of measles in Kenya should millions of children fail to be immunised against the potentially deadly disease.
The contagious measles virus, like the coronavirus, is spread by infected droplets in the air. It replicates in the nose and throat. The measles virus causes total body skin rash and flu-like symptoms.
The Kemri-Wellcome Trust Research Programme in October warned the number of susceptible children has ballooned yet one infected child can trigger a major outbreak.
"Following the start of Covid-19 and restriction measures that decreased vaccination coverage, we estimate population immunity decreased quickly, depending on the extent of reduction in vaccination coverage," Kemri said in a modelling study.
Kemri warned that more than seven million susceptible children had not received booster doses for measles after a nationwide drive first due in February 2019 was postponed for lack of funds, then by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The first dose of Measles Containing Vaccine is usually administered at nine months and a second one from 18 months.
(edited by o. owino)