The Government today flagged-off Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (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.
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.
