Kenyans asked to take children for jab after measles-rubella outbreak
The measles-rubella vaccine.
What you need to know:
- Health Chief Administrative Secretary Mercy Mwangangi said Kenya remains at high risk of measles outbreaks.
The Ministry of Health has asked Kenyans in 22 counties to ensure their children are vaccinated in a campaign to be launched this Friday, because they are at risk of a measles and rubella outbreak.
This comes after a nationwide risk assessment identified the 22 counties -- Kilifi, Mandera, Wajir, Garissa, Baringo, West Pokot, Turkana, Tana River, Trans Nzoia, and Elgeyo Marakwet, Busia, Homa Bay, Migori, Kisii, Kajiado, Nairobi, Bomet, Bungoma, Kakamega, Narok and Vihiga as being at a very high risk, following an active outbreak in West Pokot.
Speaking at an official briefing, the head of vaccines at the ministry, Dr Collins Tabu, disclosed that the outbreak is being dealt with.
“As from October 2019 to date, we have registered 786 measles-rubella cases and two deaths, there is an active outbreak in West Pokot after Mandera, and a gradual rise in the number of cases as per what we have observed,” Dr Tabu said. He, however, assured that the government is prepared.
Measles outbreak
“We have gone through more than a year of planning and have had engagements with counties and sub-counties on this vaccination campaign and asked them to take ownership in terms of making sure the children are available and ensuring every community is on board,” the head of vaccines explained.
Dr Mercy Mwangangi, the CAS at the Health ministry, observed that Kenya remains in constant threat of measles outbreaks.
“Outbreaks have been witnessed over the last one year and have been reported in Mandera, Wajir, Garissa, West Pokot and Tana River, among other counties.
The unprecedented increase in the number of unvaccinated children, accumulation of susceptible children to more than 2.1 million and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has compounded this problem,” the secretary said.
Immunisation Programme
Dr Mwangangi announced that the government will officially launch the vaccination campaign this Friday in Kajiado County.
“The Ministry of Health therefore, through the National Vaccines and Immunisation Programme (NVIP) plans to conduct a measles-rubella vaccination campaign in these 22 selected counties that are at highest risk from June 25 to July 5, 2021.
The campaign targets to reach about 3.5 million children aged 9–59 months over this period and is expected to cost Sh800 million.
The campaign will involve more than 16,000 health-workers, who are currently being trained and will offer the vaccines free of charge through 5,061 vaccination posts that will be set up in public places such as markets, schools, churches, mosques and other social places and mobile vaccination teams, in addition to all public health facilities within the 22 counties,” she said.
Dr Rudy Eggers, the World Health Organization (WHO) representative to Kenya, asked all parents and caregivers to take their young ones aged 9 months to 5 years to the nearest health centre or vaccination post in the 22 counties.
“The World Health Organization, in collaboration with all other partners, will continue to support the government of Kenya to realise its goal of eliminating measles and rubella in Kenya,” he said, adding that since 2017, more than 1.4 million children in Kenya have missed their first dose of MR vaccine and therefore remain susceptible to the two diseases.
The uptake of second dose of measles containing vaccine given at 18 months has also remained persistently low, and the children are at the risk of dying if they contract the diseases, he added.
Dr Patrick Amoth, the acting director-general at the Health ministry, said the vaccine that will be used in the immunisation drive is safe and has gone through a stringent process.
“It is up to us to act individually and collectively so as to be able to avert this crisis,” the director general urged.
Pneumonia
According to Dr Rose Jalang’o, who works at the National Vaccines and Immunisation Programme at the Health ministry, data shows measles was in 2000 the leading cause of vaccine-preventable deaths of children, but is now third after pneumococcal and rotavirus, with deaths due to complications leading to pneumonia, diarrhoea and croup while rubella is a leading cause of congenital defects.
Statistics further show that there is a steady increase in the number of people infected with the measles and rubella viruses in the country.
The cases are spread throughout the country. When a pregnant mother is infected with rubella, it could lead to the baby being born with serious defects.
“Ninety-five per cent population immunity is not achievable with only one dose (routine) even at a very high vaccination coverage, as only 85 per cent of children vaccinated against measles develop immunity from first dose and so accumulation of children with no immunity occurs over time, thus the high risk of an outbreak,” she said.
Coverage must, therefore, be above 95 per cent in the target age group to impact disease transmission and rapidly build population immunity.
