Kenyan parents can breathe easy after the country received 9.3 million doses of critical childhood vaccines to address shortages in the country.
The shipment includes 2.3 million doses of the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine for tuberculosis and 7 million doses of the measles-rubella vaccine. Speaking during a weekly media briefing, Health Director-General Dr Patrick Amoth confirmed that the vaccines arrived on January 21, 2025, and have already been dispatched to nine regional depots across the country from the Central Vaccine Store (CVS) in Kitengela. Dr Amoth reassured the public that the Ministry of Health has established a robust vaccine distribution system to maintain uninterrupted immunization programs. "We have maintained a buffer stock of vaccines sufficient for six months to guarantee an uninterrupted supply," he said, adding that any isolated challenges would be promptly addressed. .Keep ReadingGovernment allocates Sh1.2b to cure vaccine shortageMinistry assures Kenyans over vaccine shortagesAlarm as public facilities grapple with shortage of crucial vaccinesVaccines supply hit by Sh1.4b budget cutThe BCG vaccine distribution is as follows: Nairobi (450,000 doses), Kisumu (300,000 doses), Kakamega (276,000 doses), Nakuru (264,000 doses), Mombasa (120,000 doses), Meru (90,000 doses), Nyeri (90,000 doses), Garissa (120,000 doses), and Eldoret (290,000 doses).
An additional 234,000 doses will remain at the CVS as buffer stock. The measles-rubella vaccines, critical for protecting children against life-threatening diseases, will also be distributed nationwide. The arrival of the BCG vaccines is particularly timely, as the country faced shortages over the past month.
Some counties experienced limited supplies, while others had complete stockouts.
