The Ministry of Health has set aside Ksh1.25 billion for the procurement of children's vaccines that have been experiencing shortages in the country.
In a letter undersigned by the Principal Secretary in the State Department for Medical Services, Harry Kimtai, the government said the allocation was provided to ensure children remain protected from vaccine-preventable diseases.
"The Ministry of Health has taken urgent steps to address the issue and ensure our children remain protected from vaccine-preventable diseases," the letter read in part.
The ministry said it had urgently procured routine childhood vaccines that were critically low in their stores.
"The Ministry of Health has allocated Kshs 1.25 billion to urgently procure routine childhood vaccines, including BCG, Oral Polio, Tetanus-Diphtheria, and Measles Rubella, which had reached critically low levels in the country," the Ministry of Health said.
Kimtai confirmed that they had received over 8 million doses of different vaccines to be dispatched to different parts of the country - 1,209,500 doses of Measles Rubella vaccines, 3,032,000 doses of Oral Polio Vaccines (bOPV), 1,000,000 doses of Tetanus-Diptheria vaccines and 3,129,000 doses BCG vaccines.
To expedite the process, the Ministry of Health engaged additional refrigerated trucks to ensure these lifesaving vaccines reach health facilities and communities by the second week of June 2024.
The ministry called on healthcare workers to collaborate with community health teams to ensure all children who missed vaccinations return to the facilities and catch up on their immunization schedule.
Additionally, it urged all caregivers to take their children to the facilities for immunization as the vaccine supply has now stabilized.
To mitigate the crisis of vaccine shortages in the country, the ministry is exploring innovative options for sustainable financing of vaccine procurement and program operations.
"We will continue engaging the National Treasury to ensure increased and dedicated resources are allocated to the immunization program, ensuring stable vaccine supplies. Ring-fencing domestic resources will guarantee sustainable financing for immunization and universal access to vaccines, aligning with our efforts in Primary Health Care," Kimtai said.
They lauded the quick intervention of the State Department of Medical Services, the National Vaccines and Immunization Program, and UNICEF's supplies division for their swift distribution of the vaccines.
