•The exercise which seeks to reach at least 3.1 million children under five years with the lifesaving vaccine started on Saturday and is expected to go on for the next four days
•The exercise targets children in 10 high risk counties of Mandera, Wajir, Tana River, Lamu, Kitui, Machakos, Kiambu, Kajiado, Nairobi and Garissa
Image: FILE
Parents and guardians have been urged to present their children and ensure they get vaccinated against polio.
The exercise which seeks to reach at least 3.1 million children under five years with the lifesaving vaccine started on Saturday and is expected to go on for the next five days to October 11, 2023.
The exercise targets children in 10 high-risk counties of Mandera, Wajir, Tana River, Lamu, Kitui, Machakos, Kiambu, Kajiado, Nairobi and Garissa.
The Ministry of Health in collaboration with county governments and partners successfully undertook round 1 of polio campaigns from August 24 to 28 in four counties of Kiambu, Kajiado, Garissa and Nairobi.
During the drive, a total of 1,960,748 of children under five years were vaccinated out of a target of 1,879,402 children.
According to the ministry, despite sustained efforts, there are clear indications that transmission of the virus is still active in Garissa County, especially within the refugee camps.
“Members of the public and especially parents should ensure that their children are up to date on the recommended vaccination schedules,” PS Public Health Mary Muthoni said.
The ministry on Thursday confirmed that a total of eight cases had been reported in the country after two more were recorded in Garissa, one in a child aged seven years contrary to the common belief that polio largely affects children under five years of age.
The ministry has attributed the ongoing polio outbreaks to missed vaccination opportunities among children.
“I therefore urge all parents to ensure that their children receive all the required doses of the vaccines to stop further polio outbreaks,” Muthoni said.
“This begins at birth with the birth dose followed by another dose at 6 weeks, 10 weeks and 14 weeks,” she added.
The ministry said the confirmation of the virus in a seven-year-old child re-affirms that polio is a threat to all persons irrespective of age in areas where population immunity is compromised.
As a result, in Fafi and Daadab Subcounties as well as all refugee camps in Garissa County, the campaign will target all children under 15 years.
Muthoni said the ministry shall continue to undertake Polio surveillance among children under the age of 15 years.
It will at the same time undertake environmental surveillance to detect suspected cases promptly, adding that the recruitment and training of the 100,000 Community Health Promoters (CHPs) will greatly boost the efforts and ensure that vigilance is enhanced at the community level.