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Kenya: Kenya Has a Yellow Fever Outbreak - How to Deal With It
The Conversation Africa, 20 March 2022
On 5 March 2022, Kenya declared an outbreak of yellow fever in Isiolo County after the death of three people. More than 20 people were reported to have contracted the deadly viral… Read more »
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Tanzania: Tz On High Alert Over Yellow Fever
Daily News, 10 March 2022
Tanzania is taking all preventive measures against a yellow fever outbreak in the country, after neighbouring Kenya reported three deaths from the disease. Read more »
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Kenya: Kenya Records Yellow Fever Outbreak in Isiolo
Capital FM, 5 March 2022
Kenya has recorded a yellow fever outbreak in parts of Isiolo with three people having succumbed to the disease. Read more »
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Kenya: Top Scientist Shares the Joys and Challenges of Creating Life-Saving Vaccines
The Conversation Africa, 30 November 2021
Professor George Warimwe should be a household name in Kenya. He's a leading scientist who has created a life-saving vaccine against Rift Valley Fever. He is also leading… Read more »
How Kenya Can Deal With Latest Yellow Fever Outbreak
On March 5, 2022, Kenya declared an outbreak of yellow fever in Isiolo County after the death of three people. More than 20 people were reported to have contracted the deadly viral disease in the county in February 2022. Counties bordering Isiolo were placed in the high-risk bracket.
Yellow fever outbreaks occurred in nine African countries in 2021. They were Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Côte d'Ivoire, the DR Congo, Ghana, Niger, Nigeria and the Republic of Congo.
It is estimated that 47 countries in the world - 34 in Africa and 13 in Central and South America - are susceptible to yellow fever. The disease is endemic in tropical areas of these regions.
There is no specific anti-viral drug for yellow fever at the moment but the disease is preventable through a single dose vaccine. The vaccine provides a sustained immunity and lifelong protection for 80% to 100% of vaccinated people. At the moment, Kenya doesn't have a regular vaccination programme for risk areas but the government usually arranges for mass vaccinations during outbreaks.
Kenya should consider mass vaccinations targeting all age groups in high-risk counties. This happened in Cote d'Ivoire between September and October 2001, when up to 2.61 million people were vaccinated in a 12-day period in Abidjan, reports Eunice Anyango Owino for The Conversation.
