The government has announced that it is targeting three million children in 15 counties for vaccination against polio next week.
The head of disease surveillance at the ministry of health Daniel Langat has said the exercise has been prompted by an ongoing polio outbreak in Africa which potentially exposes Kenya.
The campaign that will begin on Wednesday to Sunday will be launched at the Isiolo referral hospital and it will target Nairobi, Lamu, Tana River, Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, Marsabit, Isiolo, Samburu, Turkana, West Pokot, Trans Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, Bungoma and Busia.
“Our analysis looked at the performance of routine immunization in counties as well as the proximity of certain counties to areas with importation of previous polio cases such as in North Eastern. Further, we looked at the movement of population and that is why a place like Nairobi is on the list,” said Langat
He added that half a million children under five years miss out in such vaccination drives, exposing them to preventable diseases and puts their communities and peers at risk of getting the infections.
Head of health promotion unit in the ministry of health said that they have set aside Sh 70 million for advocacy, communication, and mobilization.
Details of the preparations and arrangements for the vaccination campaign will be discussed in a meeting for polio stakeholders in Nairobi on Thursday that will be hosted by Director of Medical Services Jack Kioko.