In a major public health push, the County Government of Uasin Gishu in collaboration with the Ministry of Health is set to roll out a nationwide vaccination campaign targeting Measles-Rubella (MR) and Typhoid Conjugate vaccines, aiming to immunize millions of children across the country.
The ambitious initiative targets 7.5 million children aged 9 to 59 months with the MR vaccine and 19.2 million children aged 9 months to 14 years with the typhoid conjugate vaccine. The goal is to reach at least 95% MR coverage and 80% typhoid coverage.
Speaking during the trainer of trainers training and microplanning meeting for the Sub County teams,Director of Health Services Dr Evans Kiprotich said “Typhoid remains a serious public health threat, especially for children under 15, and even more so for those under five and with rising antimicrobial resistance and poor water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure, this vaccine is not just timely-it’s essential.”
Kenya’s last nationwide MR campaign was conducted in 2016. Since then, over 6.1 million children have become susceptible, raising the risk of outbreaks amid stagnating vaccine coverage currently at just 80 percent for both MR1 and 60 percent for MR2 doses.
The campaign aims to close that gap, increase immunity, and break transmission chains. With seroconversion rates after the first MR dose averaging only 85%, experts emphasize the urgency of achieving and maintaining high coverage.
“This is a critical step toward protecting our children and preventing future outbreaks,” added Dr. Kiprotich.
County EPI Cordinator Joshua Masai noted that the nationwide rollout is expected to commence on 4th July and runs upto 13th July urging parents and caregivers to take their children for vaccination and support the drive toward a healthier, outbreak-free Kenya.
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