NAIROBI, July 13 (NNN-KBC) — The Ministry of Health has urged parents and caregivers to take their children for free measles-rubella and typhoid vaccines as the national campaign enters its final days.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said 3.5 million children have received the measles-rubella vaccine since the campaign began on July 5, against a target of 6.5 million.
Another 12.1 million have received the Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (TCV) out of the targeted 19.2 million children.
He also confirmed that over 4,000 zero-dose children (those who had never been vaccinated before) had now received both vaccines.
“With 3 days left in the main campaign and 2 mop-up days, the Ministry urges all caregivers to act now. Vaccination is safe, effective, and life-saving,” Duale said in a statement issued Saturday.
Both vaccines are approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and are being administered free of charge at public health facilities and designated outreach centres including schools, churches, mosques, markets, and community centres.
The ministry has also deployed mobile teams to visit households in hard-to-reach areas to ensure no eligible child is left behind.
Duale reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring no child dies from a vaccine-preventable disease and encouraged the public to seek accurate information from the Ministry of Health and health professionals.
“We urge all Kenyans to seek accurate information from trusted sources such as the Ministry of Health, health professionals, and accredited partners. Misinformation puts lives at risk,” he stated. — NNN-KBC
