Nairobi: The Government today flagged-off Bacillus Calmette-Gu©rin (BCG) vaccines to counties to ensure zero-dose children, that is about 20 to 30,000 children in Kenya, that have never interfaced with the vaccination programme are reached. Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Aden Duale said the government has received over three million doses of the BCG vaccine that primarily helps protect against Tuberculosis (TB) and 3.2 million doses of oral Polio Vaccine (OPV), both of which will be a major boost to national immunization efforts.
According to Kenya News Agency, Duale, who was flagging-off BCG vaccines at Afya House, Nairobi, added that the consignment has been made possible through the swift and commendable action by the National Treasury. 'Families can now visit their nearest health facilities to catch-up on any missed vaccination,' he said.
Despite the country grappling with the disruption of the global vaccine supply chain, the Kenya Government remains steadfast in its mission to uphold every child's right to immunization, Duale further stated. 'We are monitoring an emerging issue, a global shortage of rotavac frozen vaccine, which prevents diarrhea, caused by Rotavirus, that is expected to impact supply from the second quarter of 2025 into 2026,' the CS said.
The CS thanked the immunization partners, including United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), for their swift procurement and delivery of these vaccines within short timelines. Duale was joined by Principal Secretary for Medical Services Dr. Ouma Oluga, Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards Mary Muthoni, Chief Executive Officer of the Council of Governors Mary Mwiti, Director General for Health in the Ministry of Health Dr. Patrick Amoth and other senior staff of the Ministry of Health, during the flagging-off BCG vaccines at Afya House, Nairobi.