Value of immunisation

vaccine
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • Several obstacles have made it difficult for Kenya to achieve full immunisation coverage.
  • The Covid-19 outbreak exacerbated these challenges further

As a signatory to the Global Vaccine Action Plan, Kenya is committed to fully immunise 90 per cent of all children, with at least 80 per cent coverage in each county. The 2014 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey indicates that immunisation coverage for children aged 12–23 months in Kenya is 79 per cent.

Several obstacles have made it difficult for Kenya to achieve full immunisation coverage. They include: logistical difficulties in delivering the vaccines to rural areas, inadequate trained medical personnel to administer vaccines, and storage challenges. Lack of equipment and poor public knowledge on the benefits and value of vaccination are also contributing factors.

The Covid-19 outbreak exacerbated these challenges further by negatively affecting routine immunisation programmes in the country.

Notably, despite these challenges, the government has made significant efforts to support immunisation programmes.

In 2019, in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), the government introduced new vaccines – malaria and human papillomavirus (HPV) – as part of its commitment to supporting immunisation.  The malaria vaccine was rolled out in a phased approach in eight counties with the highest burden of the disease. The HPV vaccine, now part of the routine immunisation programme, targets all girls aged 10 years to prevent infection with the virus responsible for most cases of cervical cancer.

The Kenya Health Policy 2014–2030, gives directions to ensure improvement in the overall status of health in Kenya in line with the country’s long-term development agenda, Vision 2030 and global commitments.  Alongside this, two other policies that have been very useful to immunisation programmes: the 2013 National Policy Guidelines on Immunisation and the Comprehensive Multi-Year Plan Kenya 2015-2019. These policies guide health workers on vaccination priorities and practices.

In addition to the above efforts, in May this year, the government launched the polio campaign across 13 counties. The campaign was necessitated after surveillance teams confirmed six cases of polio in Garissa and Mombasa in February.

The government has also recently rolled out a measles-rubella vaccination campaign in 22 high-risk counties. The campaign seeks to reach approximately 3.5 million children between nine and 59 months old. The re-emergence of these vaccine-preventable diseases shows how important it is to attain and maintain high vaccination coverage.

To achieve this, first, the government must prioritise immunisation and allocate more resources to these programmes at the national and county levels. The government also has to ensure that the funds allocated are fully spent on immunisation. Beyond the health benefits, investment in immunisation saves the government money in the long-term. Research studies have shown that every Kenya shilling invested on immunisation saves an average of Sh16 in the health system by preventing death and disabilities in children, and keeping parents.

Secondly, the government should have proper mechanisms to ensure the timely delivery of vaccines to targeted populations. There should be coordination at the national and county levels to have vaccines delivered to health facilities on time and in good condition.

Thirdly, there is need for concerted efforts by the Ministry of Health, counties and other stakeholders to increase immunisation coverage. Stakeholders should align their campaigns to government plans to avoid duplication of efforts.

Lastly, the government and health officials should educate the public and create awareness on the benefits and value of immunisation. There is a lot of misinformation that is undermining trust in vaccines. Therefore, the government needs to address this by enhancing public understanding and therefore increase acceptance of vaccines.

Immunisation saves lives and is the backbone of a healthy nation and a healthy economy.