The Ministry of Health has taken urgent steps to address the vaccine shortage in the country and has received a consignment of vaccines for Measles Rubella, Polio, Tetanus-Diptheria and BCG.
Medical Services Principal Secretary (PS) Harry Kimtai said that the Ministry of Health has allocated Sh.1.25 billion to urgently procure routine childhood vaccines, including BCG, Oral Polio, Tetanus-Diphtheria, and Measles Rubella, which had reached critically low levels in the country.
“As of today, we are pleased to announce the receipt of 1,209,500 doses Measles Rubella vaccines, 3,032,000 doses Oral Polio Vaccines (bOPV), 1,000,000 doses Tetanus-Diptheria vaccines, 3,129,000 doses BCG vaccines,” said Kimtai.
The PS said that the received vaccines are currently being processed for urgent distribution to the nine regional vaccine stores across the country.
“To expedite this process, the Ministry of Health has engaged additional refrigerated trucks to ensure these lifesaving vaccines reach our health facilities and communities by the second week of June 2024,” explained Kimtai.
He continued: “As the vaccines begin arriving at our facilities, we call on our healthcare workers to collaborate with community health teams to ensure all children who missed vaccinations return to the facilities and catch up on their immunization schedule. We also urge all caregivers to bring their children back to the facilities for immunization as vaccine supply has now normalized in the country.”
The PS said that as a Ministry, they are grateful for the support received from Gavi over the years and remain committed to ensuring a smooth transition as Kenya moves towards becoming fully self-financing by 2030.
To achieve this, Kimtai said, the Ministry is exploring innovative options for sustainable financing of vaccine procurement and program operations to prevent future stock outs.
“We will continue engaging the National Treasury to ensure increased and dedicated resources are allocated to the immunization program, ensuring stable vaccine supplies. Ring-fencing domestic resources will guarantee sustainable financing for immunization and universal access to vaccines, aligning with our efforts in Primary Health Care,” said the PS.
He acknowledged the role of immunization partners, the media, and civil society in amplifying and raising awareness of the vaccine stock out issues saying that this indicates a strong health-seeking behavior in our communities and the excellent demand for vaccines in Kenya.
“We appreciate the quick intervention of the State Department of Medical Services, the National Vaccines and Immunization Program, and UNICEF’s supplies division for their swift distribution of the vaccines,” said Kimtai.
The PS gave the assurance that they will continue working hard to ensure that children remain protected from vaccine-preventable diseases.
By Joseph Ng’ang’a
