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Children aged five and below to be vaccinated against Measles-Rubella in Kenya.

June 23, 2021

By Samuel Ouma

On Friday, June 25, the government of Kenya will roll out a Measles and Rubella vaccination campaign in Kajiado County, south of Nairobi.

Measles-Rubella vaccination campaign will run for ten days and targets 3.5 million children across twenty-two counties identified as high-risk zones by the Ministry of Health.

The counties are Kilifi, Mandera, Wajir, Garissa, Baringo, West Pokot, Turkana, Tana River, TransNzoia, Elgeyo Marakwet, Busia, Homabay, Migori, Kisii, Kajiado, Nairobi, Bomet, Bungoma, Kakamega, Narok and Vihiga.

Health Chief Administrative Secretary Mercy Mwangangi said children aged 9-59 months are the main targets.

Mwangagi appealed to parents and caregivers to take the children in the stated age bracket for immunization.

“Immunization being the most cost-effective public health intervention should be embraced dearly by all of us. I appeal to my fellow leaders to mobilize resources to support immunization services at all levels and also encourage their communities to go for vaccination,” she said.

The exercise would be driven by 16,000 health care workers in 5061vaccination posts to be set up in public places, including markets, schools, churches, mosques, and other social places in addition to public health facilities. There will also be mobile vaccination teams across the targeted areas.

Kenya's Acting General Director for Health, Dr. Patrick Amoth, has assured the parents of the vaccine's safety, asking them to work closely with the ministry of health to fight the disease.

Research shows that since 2019 Kenya has recorded two-measles related deaths and 789 cases.

Last week on Saturday, Kenya launched the second vaccination phase against polio after six polio cases were detected in its Mombasa and Garissa counties early this year.

The campaign targeted over 3.4 million children below five years from 13 counties. The first phase took place between May 22 and May 26.

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