More than 15.6 million children across Kenya have been vaccinated against measles and typhoid as the country’s nationwide immunization campaign enters its final stretch
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale announced that 3.5 million children had received the measles-rubella vaccine since the start of the campaign on July 5. The government aims to reach 6.5 million children before the campaign ends.
At the same time, 12.1 million children have received the Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (TCV), out of a national target of 19.2 million.
“We have only three days left before the main campaign closes, with two additional days allocated for mop-up,” Duale said in a statement on Saturday. “These vaccines are safe and effective. They save lives. Every parent should act now.”
The Ministry of Health confirmed that more than 4,000 children who had never received any vaccine before referred to as “zero-dose” children have now been vaccinated.
Both vaccines are approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) and are available free of charge at public health centers and at temporary outreach posts. These include schools, churches, mosques, markets, and community centers.
To ensure full coverage, the ministry has also dispatched mobile teams to remote and underserved areas, targeting homes with unvaccinated children.
CS Aden Duale urged Kenyans to rely on credible information. “We encourage parents and guardians to get the facts from the Ministry of Health and qualified health professionals,” he stated. “False information about vaccines endangers lives.”
The national immunization effort is part of the government’s broader plan to prevent future disease outbreaks and protect children from illnesses that can be avoided with timely vaccination.
With just days remaining in the campaign, health officials are calling for increased public participation to meet the country’s full vaccination target and close immunity gaps that put children at risk.
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