By John Kariuki
Murang’a-based public health expert Dr Moses Mwangi has called on the national government to act with urgency in replenishing critical vaccine stocks amid a growing immunization crisis that has left 12 counties without essential vaccines.
This comes after the Ministry of Health, through a press statement issued on Friday, 6th June 2025, acknowledged an alarming depletion of stocks for key vaccines BCG (for tuberculosis), Polio, and Rota Virus across the country. The statement, signed by Dr Ouma Oluga, Principal Secretary in the State Department for Medical Services, revealed that only two weeks of supply remain for BCG and Polio vaccines, while Rota Virus vaccine stock is projected to last just one more month.
The Ministry attributed the shortage to persistent global vaccine supply bottlenecks and assured the public that efforts are underway to redistribute existing doses across counties to minimize the impact.
However, Dr Mwangi expressed concern that redistribution alone may not suffice. “This is a national health emergency in the making. The government must move with speed to procure and deliver adequate vaccines before the situation spirals out of control,” he said, warning that the country risks reversing years of progress in child immunization.
The Ministry has outlined several interventions, including the clearance of 3.2 million Polio vaccine doses at the port for distribution by 10th June 2025, and the expected arrival and rollout of 3.0 million BCG doses by 15th June 2025. Additionally, a Strategic Vaccine Reserve is being established in all 47 counties to ensure continuous availability in future.
To calm public anxiety, the Ministry reassured Kenyans that no child will miss a single dose of any vaccine, thanks to the Zero-Dose Catch-Up Mechanism, a key element of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
Dr Mwangi welcomed the measures but emphasized speed and follow-through. “Vaccines are life-saving tools. Their availability must never be compromised.”
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