Kenya to vaccinate children against typhoid and measles-rubella

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale. [File, Standard]

The Ministry of Health will vaccinate children against typhoid and measles-rubella from July 5, to July 14, as Kenya faces outbreaks of drug-resistant typhoid and measles in several counties.

Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the campaign will target children between ages nine months and fourteen years for typhoid and those aged nine to fifty-nine months for measles-rubella.

“Vaccination remains the strongest shield we have to protect our children against preventable diseases,” said Duale.

Duale noted that Kenya aims to reach ninety-eight per cent coverage during the ten-day campaign to curb rising cases among children, who face the greatest risk of severe illness and death.

At the same time, the ministry will integrate the typhoid conjugate vaccine into the routine immunisation schedule for children at nine months of age after the campaign.

Duale explained that poor uptake of the second measles-rubella dose has left many children exposed to infection, while the spread of drug-resistant typhoid has worsened due to climate change and urbanisation.

“We cannot allow our children to die from diseases we can prevent through timely vaccination,” noted Duale.

The campaign follows reports of confirmed measles outbreaks in eighteen counties, with two thousand nine hundred forty-nine cases and eighteen deaths recorded between January last year and February this year.

The ministry urged parents and caregivers to ensure every eligible child receives the vaccines during the campaign.