The second phase of an extensive polio vaccination campaign, which will start on Saturday, October 7, and end on Wednesday, October 11, 2023, has been formally inaugurated by the Ministry of Health.
The current polio epidemic that first appeared in Garissa County in June of this year is still being addressed, and this campaign represents a critical step in that process.
Ms. Mary Muriuki, Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards, reaffirmed the Ministry’s unflinching commitment to Kenya’s polio eradication at a meeting with the media and stakeholders that took place today.
She emphasised that although there had been some improvement, recent instances in the county of Garissa have shown that the virus is still very much alive and well. She answered by reiterating the necessity of swift action to protect our kids and neighbourhoods.
“I, therefore, urge all parents to ensure their children receive all the required vaccine doses to prevent further polio outbreaks. This process begins with the birth dose and continues with additional doses at 6 weeks, 10 weeks, and 14 weeks,” urged the Principal Secretary.
The ten high-risk counties that would be the focus of the next campaign are Mandera, Wajir, Tana River, Lamu, Kitui, Machakos, Kiambu, Kajiado, Nairobi, and Garissa, according to Ms. Muriuki.
The campaign, which is set to run from Saturday, October 7, to Wednesday, October 11, 2023, intends to reach 3,119,158 under-5-year-olds in all of the targeted sub-counties, with a target of almost 3.1 million kids in this age range.
Ms. Muriuki expressed her appreciation to all parties involved for their crucial assistance during the prior vaccination round, which resulted in a remarkable 104.2% coverage of the target population across four counties.
