Medics call for enhanced measles immunisation efforts after outbreak fears

A health worker vaccinates a child. [File, Standard]

Medical experts are urging parents to ensure their children are immunised against measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) following the confirmation of two cases in Eastleigh last month.

In the recent cases, the affected children developed complications and were diagnosed with MMR infections after undergoing medical tests.

These diseases are among the eight targeted by the government under its immunisation programme. Initially covering seven diseases, the programme was broadened with the addition of hepatitis B under the Kenya Expanded Programme on Immunisation (KEPI).

Dr Moses Mwangi, former chairman of the Kenya Association of Pharmaceutical Industry (KAPI), warns that measles is spreading silently across the country, claiming the lives of young children without timely detection by public health authorities.

“Children most affected are between the ages of one and five. The numbers are expected to rise due to the large proportion of children who missed their first immunisation,” says Dr Mwangi, a vaccination and epidemiology specialist.

The spread of these preventable diseases is being fuelled by declining vaccination rates and the influx of refugees from neighbouring countries such as South Sudan and Somalia.

Dr Mwangi is calling on the Ministry of Health to launch a nationwide immunisation campaign targeting all children under 12 years.

Data from the Ministry of Health indicate that most immunisation campaigns fail to achieve even 60 per cent coverage—a figure far below the levels required for effective community protection.

“Every effort should be made to ensure vaccines are readily available, especially for children who are vulnerable or already at risk of MMR,” Dr Mwangi emphasises. He adds that criticism of vaccines often stems from misinformation and ignorance.

Dr Joseph Aluoch of Nairobi Hospital underscores the importance of a two-dose immunisation schedule. He explains that the initial dose, administered at nine months, must be followed by a second dose at 15 months to ensure full protection.

“A child given the first dose at nine months must receive the booster at 15 months because maternal antibodies—passed from mother to child—typically wane by then. Without the second dose, the child remains at risk,” says Dr Aluoch.

He notes that Kenya must adopt the two-dose strategy more consistently if it is to effectively combat measles, mumps, and rubella.

Findings from the 2018/2020 Kenya Integrated Household Budget Survey (KIHBS) reveal a worrying decline in uptake of second vaccine doses among children aged one to two. The nationwide survey, which covered 24,000 households, showed a drop in second-dose coverage from 88 per cent to 75 per cent.

This figure falls significantly short of World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. To be fully immunised against MMR, a child must receive the first dose of anti-measles vaccine before their first birthday, followed by a combined MMR dose at 15 months.