Kenya: Dual Vaccine Campaign Nears Completion With 15mn Children Covered

Nairobi — Over 15 million children across been vaccinated against measles, rubella, and typhoid in an ongoing nationwide immunisation campaign, the Ministry of Health announced on Saturday.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale praised the strong turnout for the Measles-Rubella (MR) and Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (TCV) campaign, which began on July 5.

MoH reported 3.5 million children receiving the MR vaccine, while 12.1 million received the TCV vaccine--marking significant progress toward the campaign's targets of 6.5 million and 19.2 million, respectively.

"Notably, over 4,000 zero-dose children--those never previously vaccinated--have now received both MR and TCV vaccines, strengthening population immunity," said CS Duale.

"From urban centres to remote areas, parents and caregivers have demonstrated strong commitment to protecting children from these preventable but potentially deadly diseases."

Misinformation concern

The Ministry attributed the success of the campaign to the dedication of health workers, caregivers, religious leaders, and community mobilisers across the country.

Duale noted that the vaccines are provided free of charge at public health facilities and temporary outreach sites, including schools, churches, mosques, markets, and through door-to-door household visits.

Despite the strong uptake, the Ministry expressed concern over increasing misinformation regarding vaccine safety, particularly on social media and from some community voices.

"Vaccination is safe, effective, and life-saving," Duale emphasized.

"Both MR and TCV vaccines are WHO-approved, having passed rigorous international and local safety reviews. They are already protecting millions of children globally."

He warned that misinformation not only places individual children at risk, but also jeopardizes broader public health goals.

The CS urged Kenyans to rely on credible information from the Ministry of Health, healthcare professionals, and accredited partners.

With three days remaining in the main vaccination campaign, and an additional two days scheduled for mop-up activities, the Ministry called on all caregivers to ensure eligible children are vaccinated before the campaign concludes.

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