The Ministry of Health officially launched the second phase of a comprehensive polio vaccination campaign set to begin on October 7-11.
During a media and stakeholder meeting held on Thursday, Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards Mary Muthoni reiterated the Ministry's unwavering commitment to eradicating polio in Kenya.
"This campaign marks a crucial step in the ongoing efforts to combat the recent polio outbreak that surfaced in Garissa County in June of this year," she said.
She pointed out that despite initial progress, recent cases in Garissa county underscore the persistent presence of the virus. In response, she emphasized the need for decisive action to safeguard our children and communities.
"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," the Principal Secretary said.
Muthoni also announced that the upcoming campaign would target 10 high-risk counties, namely: Mandera, Wajir, Tana River, Lamu, Kitui, Machakos, Kiambu, Kajiado, Nairobi, and Garissa.
The campaign aims to reach 3,119,158 children under 5 years across all targeted subcounties, with a goal of reaching approximately 3.1 million children in this age group.
Expressing her gratitude, Muthoni thanked all stakeholders for their invaluable support in the previous vaccination round, which achieved an impressive 104.2% coverage of the target population across four counties.
Muthoni pointed out that polio was a threat to everyone and that in thi campaign they were going to target children under 15 years.
"Let’s ensure children are up to date with routine immunisation and that they receive all the doses required. Let’s ensure all our children are vaccinated during this 2nd targeted campaign," she said.
"This is a collective responsibility; the government cannot win alone. We thank all our partners for the support provided to eradicate polio in the country."
