Over 96 percent of children aged between 6 to 23 months in Njoro and Bahati Sub Counties have received influenza vaccine in a demonstration project rolled out by the Ministry of Health and County Government of Nakuru in collaboration with the National Vaccines and Immunization Program (NVIP), Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Washington State University (WSU) Global Health Programme.
The two-year influenza vaccine demonstration project, according to County Director for Administration and Planning, Dr Benedict Osore, had yielded encouraging results with reduced flu infections reported among the vaccinated population.
Osore indicated that during the demonstration project, research had been conducted to detect new local strains of influenza while evaluation had been done on the impact of introducing influenza vaccine on existing immunization programmes.
Previously, Kenya has been one of the countries on the continent that did not have an influenza vaccination programme. Nevertheless, the vaccine has been available in the private sector but at a cost way beyond the means of many Kenyans.
“Due to the absence of the national programme, children also don’t receive it as part of their regular immunization schedule in public hospitals. The Ministry of Health is working on plans towards the inclusion of Influenza Vaccine in the Kenya Extended Programme on Immunization (KEPI) where vaccines are administered for free to target groups,” noted the Director for Administration and Planning.
Osore made the remarks during a meeting to appraise outcomes of the Influenza vaccine demonstration project which has been completed. The event held at the Nakuru Level 5 Teaching and Referral Hospital brought together representatives of Ministry of Health, National Vaccines and Immunization Program (NVIP), Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Washington State University (WSU) Global Health Programme.
“We will use research data findings to inform policy for Public Health Action in prevention and control of respiratory illnesses. During the demonstration project, over 19,000 doses of the vaccine were also administered to all healthcare workers in the County and their next of kin,” he explained.
Nakuru, stated the Director for Administration and Planning, had been rendered vulnerable to a possible outbreak of influenza due to extensive travel and trade relations it has experienced with foreign countries and that it is a major tourist hub that receives many passengers from around the globe.
“Influenza surveillance has also been activated at all major health facilities in Nakuru County which is a high-risk area. Complications from the flu are estimated to kill between 290,000 and 650,000 people globally each year. Data from influenza surveillance in Kenya over the last 10 years shows that the viruses circulate throughout the year, with peaks from February to April and June to November,” noted Osore.
Statistics from the Ministry of Health indicate that a quarter of Kenyan patients who seek medical care for respiratory symptoms have the flu virus in their systems.
Dr Jeanette Dawa, a Medical Epidemiologist at WSU Global Health Programme – Kenya, said that findings of the Influenza vaccine demonstration project will be forwarded to the Ministry of Health to inform the roll out of the Influenza vaccination in the country.
“We deeply assessed whether influenza vaccine is cost effective and sustainable to be included in the Kenya Extended Program on Immunization-KEPI where vaccines are administered for free to target groups,” Dawa pointed out.
According to the Epidemiologist, the influenza vaccination roll out in Nakuru County will enable patients in public health facilities to access the vaccine free of charge and promptly.
She added, “The Influenza vaccine demonstration project was tailored to address gaps in local data on the socio-economic impact of influenza vaccination programs, strategies for vaccine delivery, and the impact of the vaccination program on the healthcare workforce and existing immunization programme.”
In 2014, the Kenya National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (KENITAG) was directed by the Ministry of Health to provide an evidence-based recommendation on whether the seasonal influenza vaccine should be introduced into the national immunization programme (NIP).
“In 2016, KENITAG, whose secretariat is hosted by the National Vaccine and Immunization Program (NVIP), recommended the introduction of the annual seasonal influenza vaccine among children 6 to 23 months of age. However, the recommendation was subject to implementation of a pilot study” said Dawa.
Currently in Africa, only a few countries issue the vaccine annually including Ivory Coast, Egypt, Libya, Mauritius, Tunisia and South Africa.
Every year, the WHO recommends a cocktail covering three or four bases at once – usually two subtypes of the Influenza virus A species, and two types of Influenza virus B.
The choice of vaccine mix relies on year-round work by the WHO’s Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System, created more than 50 years ago.
Dawa added that Influenza virus A, which also circulates in birds and can move between species, is responsible for most flu infections and causes the deadliest pandemics – including the 1918-1919 Spanish Flu that killed as many as 100 million people.
Influenza virus B is found almost exclusively in humans, and causes less severe sickness.
By Jane Ngugi
