Nakuru County is set to immunise over 400,000 children and women during the national measles, Rubella and tetanus immunisation campaign which starts Monday.
County Health CeC, Dr Mungai Kabii said health workers will immunise all children between nine months and 14 years against measles and Rubella during the national immunisation campaign.
Briefing a stakeholders meeting at a Nakuru hotel on Thursday, Mungai said the government, in conjunction with the major partners in the health sector such as the WHO, had embarked on a campaign to eradicate the two diseases which have become major killers.
“The two diseases which present less similar symptoms of fever, flu-like symptoms and rashes are very contagious and infection of an expectant mother can cause deformities on the newborn baby,” he said.
The county minister said the campaign will run from May 16- 26.
The tetanus vaccine will also be administered to women and girls aged between 15 and 49 years in across the county.
Mungai said the reason why this population is being targeted for tetanus vaccination is to prevent infections during delivery as many of the women deliver at home in unhygienic conditions.
He called on all mothers in the county to deliver their newborn babies in recognised health facilities under the care of a professional birth attendant.
“Infections enter the body through the lacerations that occur during child birth”, he said.
The CeC revealed that only 40 per cent of mothers in the county deliver in hospitals and this exposes the remaining 60 per cent who deliver at home to infections and various dangers which often result in complications, disabilities and even death.
He attributed this high number to ignorance, illiteracy and culture.