Kisumu County has begun a major immunisation campaign targeting over 459,000 children in a bid to curb typhoid fever-one of its most stubborn and deadly public health challenges.
The rollout of the Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (TCV), launched at Nyalenda Health and Wellness Centre, marks the first time the vaccine is being offered in Kisumu.
The rollout, which is part of a nationwide campaign running from July 5 to 14, targets children aged 9 months to 14 years across Kisumu County.
Health officials say the urgency is driven by the county's alarming burden of typhoid fever, with an estimated 12,900 infections annually, the majority of whom are children under the age of 15. "This campaign is not just another routine exercise-it is a lifeline," said County Commissioner Benson Leparmorijo, who presided over the launch at the Nyalenda Health and Wellness Centre. "More than 60 percent of typhoid deaths in Kenya occur in children.
