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Staff shortage and poor vaccination schedules are some of the reasons Kenya is yet to attain 100 per cent vaccination target.
The situation could be made worse with the ongoing nurses strike, which in 2017 had the immunisation level drop to 63 percent due to a protracted five-month boycott.
This was from 69 per cent in 2016, as reported by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) 2018 Economic Survey report.
The Ministry of Health last Friday revealed that the country has since picked up in numbers and now it stands at 80 per cent.
“Overall, the burden due to vaccine preventable diseases has reduced by 70 per cent, from the year 2000. It is through the effort of various stakeholders and county governments as implementers that this has been possible," said Health Chief Administrative Secretary Dr Rashid Aman.
Despite the 80 per cent attained immunisation targets, Aman said some counties are still lagging behind in coverage.
The CAS said there is need to further improve coverage, achieve equity and institute measures to sustain the coverage.
He said this will include tracking of all children who may have missed vaccines so far.
Aman said key drivers of low immunisation coverage persist at service delivery level.
“These include sub-optimal and irregular immunisationoutreaches; lack of daily vaccination schedules due to staff shortage; scheduling of vaccines or vaccine stock-outs and poor follow-up mechanisms for defaulters,” said Aman.
The poor scheduling and stock-outs have recently seen some counties like Nairobi and Nakuru grapple with a shortage of BCG vaccine, key in protecting newborns from tetanus, as well as the yellow fever vaccine.
The government blamed this on poor distribution networks by the counties, which had some facilities with surplus while others had none.
Some Kenyans were forced to go to private and faith-based hospitals to access the vaccines.
However, the CAS said some of these facilities charge patients for the vaccines yet they get them free from the government.
Aman said there should be supported outreaches at least twice a month for every health facility to reach the under-served communities.
He said routine immunisation should be strengthened by ensuring daily vaccination in all health facilities through support to regular (monthly) last mile distribution of vaccines and inject devices and improved reporting.
“Ensure no user fees are charged on immunisation services in public, private and faith-based health facilities that are supported by the government to offer immunisation services,” he said.
Aman said the Ministry of Health will continue to support the procurement, warehousing and distribution of all children vaccines to regional depots.
“We have just finalised the distribution and installation of over 3,000 vaccine storage fridges, increasing the proportion of health facilities offering immunisation services from 65 per centto more than 90 per cent,” said Aman.
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