- It is expected to be launched by Health CS Susan Wafula in Garissa.
- This follows an outbreak in Garissa, Mandera, Marsabit, Nairobi, Turkana and Wajir.
Image: FILE
The Ministry of Health has officially started a 10-day vaccination drive against Measles Rubella disease.
The campaign which targets at least 1.2 million children aged nine to 59 months is expected to be launched by Health CS Susan Wafula in Garissa.
This follows an outbreak in Garissa, Mandera, Marsabit, Nairobi, Turkana and Wajir.
The seven targetted counties include Marsabit, Wajir, Garissa, Nairobi, Turkana, Mandera and West Pokot.
“Vaccination will be administered in-fixed posts and temporary-fixed outreach posts supported by UNHCR, Gavi and UNICEF,” the ministry said in a statement.
A contagious viral infection is preventable by vaccine and is best known for its distinctive red rash.
The disease can spread through direct contact with the saliva or mucus of an infected person or the air by respiratory droplets produced from coughing or sneezing.
Symptoms often appear two to three weeks after exposure and also include mild fever and headache.
There's no treatment to get rid of an established infection, but medications may help with symptoms. Vaccination can help prevent the disease.
Measles and rubella are highly infectious and cause rashes, eye infections, respiratory infections, diarrhoea and death in some cases.
Rubella is a leading cause of congenital defects.
Since 2016, the vaccine has been offered as part of the routine childhood immunisation programme in Kenya, with one dose administered at nine months and the second at 18 months.
To ensure adequate protection in communities, at least 95 per cent of children must receive the two recommended doses.
“Children under five years old can die from measles complications and if the virus circulation is not stopped, their risk of exposure increases daily. We know that vaccination is by far the best way to keep these children safe,” Unicef says.
In 2020, only 85 per cent of children in Kenya received the first dose and less than 50 per cent had the second dose.
According to Unicef, globally, reported measles cases fell from over 850,000 in 2000 to 132,000 in 2016, largely due to increased vaccine coverage in low and middle-income countries.
However, in recent years global cases have surged.