CS health receives polio, measles vaccines to improve immunization services

Health Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki today received 1.9 doses of MR and 2.5 million dose of Polio Vaccine at Kitengela Depot and assured the Country that there is no shortage. The Vaccine will be distributed to health facilities countrywide on 19-7-2019.

Nairobi, KENYA Thursday, July 19, 2019 – The Government has procured 2,254,000 doses of Polio and 1,900,000 million doses of Measles rubella vaccines to boost immunization coverage in the country in the next four months.

The vaccines worth Sh215 which, were procured by the Government of Kenya through an International Agreement with UNICEF were received by the Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Health, Sicily Kariuki, today at the National vaccine Depot in Kitengela who assured the public that there is sufficient stocks of vaccines in the country.

“We are expecting to receive more vaccine procured through a joint investment between the Government of Kenya and the Global Alliance for Vaccines Initiative (GAVI), later this month,” she noted and called on parents, guardians and the community to continue taking children for immunization at their nearest health facilities.

The Government spends more than 7 Billion Shillings every year to provide immunization services, with at least 1.2 Billion Shillings spent on vaccine procurement.

The CS noted that the vaccines will be distributed in various health facilities across the country through regional vaccine depots.

She added the Ministry of Health provides Immunization services free of charge through a network of over 9,000 Public, Private, NGO and Faith Based Health facilities.

“We strive to increase access to this critical service through procurement and installation of specialized vaccine storage refrigerators. This year, the we have procured, distributed and installed 3,000 vaccine storage fridges at a cost of 1.8 billion shillings, increasing the proportion of health facilities offering immunization services from 65% to more than 90% in the country reducing the vaccine preventable diseases burden by 70%, from the year 2000.,” she noted.

Kenya she added has achieved its Maternal Neonatal Tetanus Elimination Goals and has committed to the global goal of controlling, eliminating and eradicating all vaccine-preventable diseases.