Alarm as number of immunized children drops

Health officials in Kisumu have raised an alarm over the drop in the number of children receiving immunisation services from public hospitals.

Medical experts have warned of a possible outbreak of preventable diseases, barely a month after Africa was declared polio free.

Further, the Ministry of Health has reported a reduction in the number of newborns accessing immunisation services across the country due to Covid-19 pandemic.

Data from the Health ministry for January to June this year show a reduced number of immunisations compared to the same period last year, with monthly immunisation of children dropping from 107,300 to 98,000.

The total number of children immunised between the months of January and June 2020 was 606,000, compared to 643,000, during the same period last year.

Declining numbers

The ministry notes that immunisation services will face challenges amid the fight against Covid-19 with the drop occasioned by movement restrictions.

County officials reported that the worst-hit are children skipping measles and BCG vaccines with fears of a possible outbreak of preventable diseases in later years. BCG vaccine prevents severe forms of tuberculosis.

According to County Director of Nursing, Jane Raburu, vaccine coverage has been going down due to frequent stock-outs of measles and BCG vaccines and fear of coronavirus.

“Coronavirus has highly contributed to declining numbers as mothers are staying away from hospitals,” Raburu said.