Parents have been urged not to fear immunisation set to kick off next week for measles, rubella and tetanus since it is safe.
In addition, the volunteers have been adequately trained.
The exercise which is targeting 19 million children between the ages of nine months and 14 years will take place in all public health facilities as well as identified churches and schools in the country unlike the norm of door to door.
“This vaccine is being administered here in Kenya for the first time after many cases were being reported with the most affected group being pregnant women consequently causing deformity and other serious birth defects to the unborn child,” said Dr Nicholas Muraguri, Health Principal Secretary.
He said that the said the exercise will seek to ensure maternal child survival as well as improve immunisation coverage from the current 80per cent to 95per cent in the country as well as helping the country progress towards global measles and rubella control and elimination goals.
“Deaths and Disabilities from Measles and Rubella are completely preventable. If a critical number of people within a community are vaccinated against a particular illness, the entire community is less likely to get the disease-herd immunity,” said Collins Tabu from the Unit of Vaccines and Immunization Services, Ministry of Health.
Tabu said that Rubella just as measles is a highly infectious disease and humans are the only reservoir. Adding that in 2014 the disease surveillance and response unit investigated 1570 suspected measles cases out of which 557 cases were rubella positive, an indication of the high incidence of Rubella within the population which is easily mistaken for measles.