Nakuru County has launched a major immunisation campaign targeting over 1.2 million children as part of Kenya’s nationwide effort to combat measles-rubella and typhoid.
The initiative, which kicked off in Bahati sub-county, is set to run until July 14 and forms part of the Ministry of Health’s strategy to halt the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases among children aged between nine months and 15 years.
Of the targeted total, 305,650 children under the age of five will receive the measles-rubella vaccine, while an additional 916,949 children aged up to 14 years will be inoculated with the Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (TCV).
The move follows a resurgence of measles cases in the region, with Nakuru recently confirming 18 cases amid fears of a wider outbreak. Health officials attribute the rise to a decline in vaccination rates during the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting the urgent rollout of supplementary immunisation services.
Launching the campaign at Kiamaina in Bahati, Nakuru County Executive Committee Member for Health, Roselyn Mungai, urged parents across the county’s 11 sub-counties to take advantage of the programme.
“This is not just a health campaign; it’s a fight to secure our children’s future,” she said. “We cannot allow preventable diseases to rob us of the next generation.”
Vaccinations are being administered in schools, health facilities, churches, mosques, and mobile outreach clinics, with community health promoters and schoolchildren leading education drives to raise awareness and counter vaccine misinformation.
The launch event was attended by senior county officials, including the Director of Health Dr. Daniel Wainaina, County Nursing Officer Wendy Tirop, and members of the County Health Management Team.
Ms Mungai noted that the county had engaged stakeholders from the education sector, religious groups, media, and civil society to ensure the campaign’s success.
Across Kenya, the 10-day campaign aims to reach more than 15 million children in all 47 counties. It complements routine immunisation programmes and is part of a broader national strategy to eliminate outbreaks of measles, rubella, and typhoid.
Health authorities are calling on the public to cooperate fully with vaccinators to ensure high coverage and protect vulnerable communities.
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