Health teams to vaccinate 1.5 million children

By Joel Okwayo

An immunisation campaign against polio and measles will be launched in Western Province.

The week-long initiative targets more than 1.5 million children. Officials say 804, 160 children will be vaccinated against polio while 760,181 will receive measles vaccinations.

The immunisation, which will take place in health centres, schools and churches, will start on September 19 and end on September 26.

Provincial Director of Public Health Simon Kibias said vaccines have been dispatched to health centres, adding that management committees should ensure all children under five years are reached.

Health providers

"We are training health providers to ensure we achieve our targets during the campaigns," said Dr Kibias.

He spoke at Christian Quest House in Kakamega during a workshop for District Public Health and Records officers from the province.

The Provincial Programme Coordinator Dorothy Odondi and Diseases Surveillance Officer Richard Nyamai also addressed the workshop.

Kibias said mosquito nets would also be distributed to children and pregnant mothers.

He said the campaigns are aimed at reducing measles outbreaks at the onset of rains after it was reported the region could face El NiÒo from next month. The Kenya Meteorological Department has indicated Kenya will experience heavy rains.

The Ministry of Special Programmes has arranged to ensure residents in Budalangi constituency do not suffer during the rains.

Budalangi MP Ababu Namwamba and DC Mabeya Mogaka said an evacuation centre would be set up at a cost of Sh13 million.

 

 

Read all about: polio vaccines

 

 

|   |    |   Add Comment |    Comments (0)

---