Kenya receives 9.3 million doses of critical vaccines

Cabinet Secretary for health Debra Mulongo Barasa and Director General for Health Dr. Patrick Amoth addressing the media on scarcity of vaccines at Afya House,Nairobi. [ Jenipher Wachie, Standard] Kenyan parents can breathe easy after the country received 9.3 million doses of critical childhood vaccines to address shortages in the country. The shipment includes 2.3 million doses of the Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine for tuberculosis and 7 million doses of the measles-rubella vaccine. Speaking during a weekly media briefing, Health Director-General Dr Patrick Amoth confirmed that the vaccines arrived on January 21, 2025, and have already been dispatched to nine regional depots across the country from the Central Vaccine Store (CVS) in Kitengela. Dr Amoth reassured the public that the Ministry of Health has established a robust vaccine distribution system to maintain uninterrupted immunization programs. "We have maintained a buffer stock of vaccines sufficient for six months to guarantee an uninterrupted supply," he said, adding that any isolated challenges would be promptly addressed. The BCG vaccine distribution is as follows: Nairobi (450,000 doses), Kisumu (300,000 doses), Kakamega (276,000 doses), Nakuru (264,000 doses), Mombasa (120,000 doses), Meru (90,000 doses), Nyeri (90,000 doses), Garissa (120,000 doses), and Eldoret (290,000 doses). An additional 234,000 doses will remain at the CVS as buffer stock. The measles-rubella vaccines, critical for protecting children against life-threatening diseases, will also be distributed nationwide. The arrival of the BCG vaccines is particularly timely, as the country faced shortages over the past month. Some counties experienced limited supplies, while others had complete stockouts. Dr Amoth attributed the delays to financial challenges caused by late approval of revenue collection documents, which hindered payments to the United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Kenya's primary vaccine supplier. "When we placed our orders with UNICEF, the submission of resources was delayed. This affected the supply chain pipeline for BCG," Dr Amoth explained. The National Treasury has since resolved these financial delays, and the Ministry of Health has implemented measures to prioritize the most affected regions. Redistribution from low-utilization to high-demand health facilities is ongoing, and health officials are maintaining records of children who missed vaccines to ensure they receive catch-up immunizations. In addition to the current shipment, the Ministry announced the arrival of further vaccine supplies in the coming weeks. By January 27, 2025, Kenya will receive: 486,000 doses of Rotavirus vaccine, 2.3 million doses of Tetanus-diphtheria (Td) vaccine and 1.2 million doses of Pentavalent vaccine. Furthermore, 960,000 doses of the oral polio vaccine are expected to arrive by February 3, 2025. Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa emphasized the government's commitment to preventing future vaccine shortages. "We are committed to finding lasting solutions for vaccine procurement and supply to prevent such disruptions in the future," she said. Barasa outlined steps to strengthen partnerships with international organizations like UNICEF and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (Gavi). Additionally, she emphasized the importance of fast-tracking Kenya's attainment of ML3 manufacturing status to enable local vaccine production. The Ministry has urged caregivers to bring children to health facilities for immunization and to ensure catch-up doses are administered for those who missed vaccinations. Counties have also been called upon to prioritize the collection of vaccines from regional depots to ensure timely distribution.

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