State dispatches 21 vehicles to boost vaccine dispatch

The Health Ministry has dispatched 21 vehicles to various counties across the country to improve vaccine transportation  to vaccination centres.

The double cabin pick up vehicles were procured by the ministry with support by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, GAVI.

The logistical support comes after multiple assessments identified weak vaccine transport systems from the regional depot to subcounties as a challenge affecting immunization initiatives in the country.

Health CS Mutahi Kagwe said despite immunization being the second most cost-effective public health intervention, a significant number of children in the country remain unvaccinated and are susceptible to diseases.

Data shows coverage varies from county to county with the lowest recording less than 60 per cent immunization coverage.

Kagwe said the ministry has often made arrangements for alternative transport such as public vehicles, ambulances and borrowing vehicles from other state departments in the absence of dedicated immunization programmes.

“These alternative transport arrangements are not always guaranteed thus resulting in an inadequate and unreliable distribution system,” he said.

The CS said those most at risk of infection due to non-vaccination are those in marginalized areas as they are the ones who are persistently left out.

“It is concerning that the coverage of vaccines given beyond one year of age is lagging behind. The second dose of measles rubella is currently at 57 per cent and HPV vaccine to prevent cervical cancer, for girls aged 10-14 is at 41 per cent.”

The ministry introduced the HPV vaccine for prevention of cervical cancer into the routine immunisation schedule in 2019 and aims to reach at least 800,000 girls per year.

The uptake of the HPV vaccine had been negatively affected by Covid-19 pandemic due to long closures of schools.

The vaccine targeted those in the age group of between 10 and 14 years of age.